USGS News: Mineralshttps://www.usgs.gov/news/minerals/feed
News Releases related to MineralsenInterior Seeks Public Comment on Draft List of 35 Minerals Deemed Critical to U.S. National Security and the Economyhttps://www.usgs.gov/news/interior-seeks-public-comment-draft-list-35-minerals-deemed-critical-us-national-security-and
<p>WASHINGTON – The <a href="https://www.doi.gov/pressreleases/interior-seeks-public-comment-draft-list-35-minerals-deemed-critical-us-national">U.S. Department of the Interior today announced</a> it is seeking public comment by March 19, 2018, on a draft list of minerals considered critical to the economic and national security of the United States. </p>
<span class="date-display-single">February 16, 2018</span>dnoseral@usgs.gov69fdf5d1-5f2f-4397-83c2-ed082182b2afU.S. Mines Produced an Estimated $75.2 Billion in Minerals During 2017https://www.usgs.gov/news/us-mines-produced-estimated-752-billion-minerals-during-2017
<p>The report from the USGS National Minerals Information Center is the earliest comprehensive source of 2017 mineral production data for the world. It includes statistics on more than 90 mineral commodities that are important to the U.S. economy and national security. It also identifies events, trends and issues in the domestic and international minerals industries. This report covers the full range of nonfuel minerals monitored by the center, not just critical minerals, which were described in the recent USGS <a href="https://pubs.er.usgs.gov/publication/pp1802">Critical Mineral Resources</a> publication; which was released in December of 2017.</p>
<p>“The Mineral Commodity Summaries provide crucial, unbiased statistics that decision-makers and policy-makers in both the private and public sectors rely on to make business decisions and national policy,” said Steven M. Fortier, the center’s director. “Industries – such as steel, aerospace, and electronics – processed nonfuel mineral materials and created an estimated $2.9 trillion in value-added products in 2017 or 15 percent of the total U.S. Gross Domestic Product.”</p>
<a href="/media/images/us-relies-these-countries-50-or-more-certain-minerals"></a>This map shows the countries that supply mineral commodities for which the United States was more than 50 percent import reliant in 2017. (Map: USGS. Public domain.)
<p>According to this year’s report, the United States continues to rely on foreign sources for some raw and processed mineral materials. In 2017, the country was 100 percent import-reliant on 21 mineral commodities including <a href="https://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/pubs/commodity/rare_earths/">rare earths</a>, <a href="https://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/pubs/commodity/manganese/">manganese</a>, <a href="https://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/pubs/commodity/niobium/">niobium </a>and <a href="https://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/pubs/commodity/vanadium/">vanadium</a>. This number of 100 percent import-reliant minerals has increased from just 11 commodities in 1984.</p>
<p>The $75.2 billion in nonfuel mineral production by U.S. mines this year is made up of industrial minerals, including aggregates, and metals.</p>
<p>Thirteen mineral commodities produced in the United States were worth more than $1 billion each in 2017. The estimated value of U.S. industrial minerals production in 2017 was $48.9 billion, 3 percent more than that of 2016. Increased natural gas and oil production benefitted some of the industrial mineral sectors. However, slower construction activity resulted in stagnant production in industrial minerals used in construction. </p>
<p>U.S. metal mine production in 2017 was estimated at $26.3 billion and was 12 percent more than that of 2016. Supply concerns and increased investor activity resulted in higher prices in 2017 for most metals. However, despite higher metal prices, domestic production was lower than the previous year. </p>
<p>In 2017, 11 states each produced more than $2 billion worth of nonfuel mineral commodities. These states were, in descending order of value: Nevada, Arizona, Texas, Alaska, California, Minnesota, Florida, Utah, Missouri, Michigan and Wyoming.</p>
<p>Some other significant findings in the new report on domestic production include:</p>
<a href="https://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/pubs/commodity/sand_&amp;_gravel_construction/">Construction Sand and Gravel</a>, <a href="https://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/pubs/commodity/stone_crushed/">Crushed Stone</a>, and <a href="https://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/pubs/commodity/stone_dimension/">Dimension Stone</a>: Construction-related industrial minerals remained essentially unchanged or saw slight decreases in production and demand in 2017. Much of this decline was due to weather events along the Gulf Coast and in the Southeast, mixed-to-slight growth in expenditures in residential and nonresidential sectors, and a slight decline in expenditures for public sector construction.
<a href="https://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/pubs/commodity/aluminum/">Aluminum</a>: U.S. production of primary aluminum decreased for the fifth consecutive year, declining by about 12 percent in 2017 to the lowest level since 1951. U.S. imports of aluminum increased by 16 percent in 2017.
<a href="https://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/pubs/commodity/rare_earths/">Rare Earths</a>: The suspension of U.S. rare-earth mining in late 2015 continued throughout 2017. In Nebraska, one company commissioned an operation that produced separated rare earth oxides from recycled fluorescent light bulbs. The company planned to ramp up production to 18 tons per month using a proprietary technology.
<a href="https://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/pubs/commodity/gold/">Gold</a>: Two new gold mines opened in late 2016 and 2017; one in Nevada and one in South Carolina – this was the first gold mine east of the Mississippi River since 1999.
<a href="https://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/pubs/commodity/cobalt/">Cobalt</a>: Average annual cobalt prices more than doubled, owing to strong demand from consumers, limited availability of cobalt on the spot market, and an increase in metal purchases by investors.
<a href="https://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/pubs/commodity/lithium/">Lithium</a>: Strong demand from consumers drove the average price of lithium up 61 percent in 2017 vs. 2016.
<p>The <a href="https://minerals.usgs.gov/">USGS Mineral Resources Program</a> delivers unbiased science and information to understand mineral resource potential, production, consumption and how minerals interact with the environment. The <a href="https://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/index.html">USGS National Minerals Information Center</a> collects, analyzes and disseminates current information on the supply of and the demand for minerals and materials in the United States and about 180 other countries. This information is essential in planning for and mitigating impacts of potential disruptions to mineral commodity supply due to both natural hazard and man-made events.</p>
<p>The USGS report Mineral Commodity Summaries 2018 is available <a href="https://pubs.er.usgs.gov/publication/70194932">online</a>. Hardcopies will be available later in the year from the Government Printing Office, Superintendent of Documents. For ordering information, please call <a href="tel:(202)%20512-1800" target="_blank">(202) 512-1800</a> or <a href="tel:(866)%20512-1800" target="_blank">(866) 512-1800</a> or <a href="http://bookstore.gpo.gov/" target="_blank">go online</a>. </p>
<p>For more information on this report and individual mineral commodities, please visit the <a href="https://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/">USGS National Minerals Information Center</a>. To keep up-to-date on USGS mineral research, follow us on <a href="https://twitter.com/usgsminerals">Twitter</a> or visit the <a href="https://minerals.usgs.gov/">Mineral Resources Program webpage</a>.</p>
<span class="date-display-single">January 31, 2018</span>hdewar@usgs.gov70a694bd-9bb7-405c-952a-7f8db70e39e1Understanding the Mineral Resources of the Midcontinent Rifthttps://www.usgs.gov/news/understanding-mineral-resources-midcontinent-rift
<a href="/media/images/mid-continent-rift-story-map"></a>Meet the <a data-cke-saved-href="https://wim.usgs.gov/geonarrative/MRS_mineral_deposits/" href="https://wim.usgs.gov/geonarrative/MRS_mineral_deposits/">Midcontinent Rift</a>, one of the most geologically fascinating regions in the United States and Canada.(Public domain.)
<p>Now, you too can learn some of that history and see a small part of the mineral potential of the United States without leaving your comfortable chair! The USGS has just released a new interactive Story Map describing the Mineral Deposits of the Midcontinent Rift System.</p>
<p>The Midcontinent Rift System, which curves for more than 2000 km across the Upper Midwest, is one of the world’s great continental rifts. Rifting began about 1.1 billion years ago, when the Earth’s crust began to split along the margin of the Superior craton. Rifting ended before the crust completely opened to form a new ocean, and as time passed rift rocks were buried beneath younger rocks. With erosion and glaciation, the ancient rocks of the Midcontinent Rift were exposed in the Lake Superior region, creating much of its spectacular shoreline.</p>
<a href="/media/images/mid-continent-rift-story-map-0"></a><a data-cke-saved-href="https://wim.usgs.gov/geonarrative/MRS_mineral_deposits/" href="https://wim.usgs.gov/geonarrative/MRS_mineral_deposits/">Learn </a>the geologic history behind the mining history in the Great Lakes.(Public domain.)
<p>In the Lake Superior region, rocks of the rift contain a wealth of mineral resources that formed by magmatic and hydrothermal processes during the ~30 million year course of rift development. Rift rocks are host to Michigan’s storied native copper deposits, and contain significant copper and nickel that were deposited during various stages of rift development.</p>
<p>In this Story Map, mineral deposit locations and descriptions, compiled from the USGS Mineral Resource Data System and the Ontario Geological Survey Mineral Deposit Inventory, are categorized by mineral commodity, mineral deposit type, and the relative time frame of mineralization.</p>
<a href="/media/images/anorthosite-quarry"></a>The Midcontinent region is the focus of active mineral exploration, including for mineral deposit types previously unrecognized there. Here, USGS scientists Laurel Woodruff and Suzanne Nicholson visit an anorthosite quarry, Duluth Complex, MN. Photo by K. Schulz, USGS.(Credit: Klaus, Schulz. Public domain.)
<p>This Story Map also describes a new comprehensive digital Geographic Information System for the Midcontinent Rift System recently compiled by the USGS from numerous regional studies conducted over the last several decades.</p>
<p>Characterizing the mineral resources of the Midcontinent Rift System is a priority of the USGS Mineral Resources Program, and we hope you enjoy this Story Map that tells just part of the amazing story of this important geologic feature.</p>
<a href="/media/images/mineral-map-lake-superior"></a>Much of the Great Lakes' mineral wealth can be traced to the Mid-Continent Rift. Here is a generalized geologic map of the Midcontinent Rift System. Modified from Dean Peterson, Duluth Metals.(Public domain.)
<p>Read More:</p>
<a href="https://minerals.usgs.gov/science/midcontinent-rift-minerals/">Multidisciplinary Studies to Image and Characterize the Mineral Resource Potential of the Midcontinent Rift, USA</a>
<a href="https://minerals.usgs.gov/science/midcontinent-rift-geophysics/">Geophysics of the Midcontinent Rift Region</a>
<a href="https://minerals.usgs.gov/science/midcontinent-rift.html">Characterization of the Midcontinent Region Mineral Resources</a>
<span class="date-display-single">January 25, 2018</span>apdemas@usgs.gov9f622508-ff6a-4d04-8883-3ff3715c8cdcSTEP-UP to Science: Engaging Young Adults with Disabilitieshttps://www.usgs.gov/news/step-science-engaging-young-adults-disabilities
<p>Modeled after a successful <a href="https://www.usgs.gov/news/a-grand-slam-students-schools-and-science">program </a>in USGS headquarters near Washington, DC, the program is expanding to three school districts in the San Francisco Bay Area. Starting the week of January 16, eleven students from three school districts in Santa Clara County, California, will begin projects at USGS’s Menlo Park campus. The partner school districts are the Palo Alto Unified School District, Fremont Union High School District and the Santa Clara Unified School District.</p>
<p>USGS is recognized as a leader among federal science agencies in training, leveraging the unique strengths of students with cognitive disabilities while allowing them to explore STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) careers, expand their employment opportunities, and become part of a diverse USGS workforce for the future.</p>
<p>What:</p>
<p>Kick-off reception for USGS STEP-UP hiring program for disabled young adults.</p>
<p>Who:</p>
<p>Participating students, teachers, job coaches, district superintendents and school board members from:</p>
<p>Palo Alto Unified School District, Fremont Union High School District, and Santa Clara Unified School District</p>
<p>Representatives from Bay Area congressional offices, elected state officials</p>
<p>USGS host supervisor scientists, and USGS leadership and staff</p>
<p>When:</p>
<p>Wednesday, January 17, 2018, 9:30 – 10:30 a.m. (Reception) and 11:00 a.m. (Observation of students working)</p>
<p>Where:</p>
<p>U.S. Geological Survey</p>
<p><a href="http://online.wr.usgs.gov/calendar/map.html">California Conference Room, Bldg. 3, 2nd floor</a></p>
<p><a href="http://online.wr.usgs.gov/calendar/map.html">345 Middlefield Road</a></p>
<p>Menlo Park, California</p>
<p>RSVP:</p>
<p>Leslie Gordon,<a href="mailto: lgordon@usgs.gov"> lgordon@usgs.gov</a>, 650-329-4006</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The USGS is forming partnerships at its various offices across the nation with local school districts and universities with established job training and transition programs. USGS identifies specific projects relevant to the work of its scientists, and then matches students to the projects based on their individual interests and aptitude. The school districts provide job coaches and onsite oversight.</p>
<p>The USGS STEP-UP Program will:</p>
<p>- Advance USGS science by making USGS data more quickly available to more scientists.</p>
<p>- Support the USGS Fundamental Science Practices by properly archiving data and collections.</p>
<p>- Supplement the USGS budget by using volunteers to achieve measurable work.</p>
<p>- Support the Federal Government’s goal of building a more inclusive and diverse workforce by becoming a model for job-training of people with cognitive disabilities.</p>
<p>- Increase the diversity of the USGS workforce by hiring some of the STEP-UP program graduates.</p>
<p> </p>
<a href="/media/images/student-and-job-coach-working-us-geological-survey"></a>Student and job coach participting in the STEP-UP progam at U.S. Geological Survey.(Public domain)
<a href="/media/images/step-student-working-usgs-0"></a>Young woman employeed at the U.S. Geological Survey as part of the STEP-UP program.(Public domain.)
<span class="date-display-single">January 12, 2018</span>Leslie C. Gordon5dcbe778-fbfa-4e44-9992-08bb47179038Critical Minerals of the United Stateshttps://www.usgs.gov/news/critical-minerals-united-states
<p>From the high-tech devices we use to access the information superhighway to the cars and trucks we use to drive the freeways, from the urban jungle to rural farms, every aspect of our lives relies on minerals. Thus, access to sufficient supplies of these minerals is a crucial part of keeping our economy and our security running.</p>
<p>In this new volume, entitled <a href="https://doi.org/10.3133/pp1802">Critical Minerals of the United States</a>, USGS geologists provide the latest and greatest on the geology and resources of 23 mineral commodities deemed critical to the economy and security of the United States. This work is meant to provide decision-makers, researchers, and economists with the tools they need to make informed choices about the mineral mix that fuels our society.</p>
<a href="/media/images/computer-chip-comparison"></a>The number of elements used in computer chip technology has changed: 12 in the 1980s, 16 in the 1990s, and more than 60 by the 2000s. (Public domain.)
<p>What is Critical?</p>
<p>USGS tracks the industries of about <a href="https://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/">88 different mineral commodities</a>, but not all of these are considered critical. So what makes the 23 in this report critical?</p>
<p>Mineral commodities that have important uses and no viable substitutes, yet face potential disruption in supply, are defined as critical to the Nation’s economic and national security. A mineral commodity’s importance and the nature of its supply chain can change with time, such that a mineral commodity that may have been considered critical 25 years ago may not be critical now, and one considered critical now may not be so in the future.</p>
<p>A good example of this is aluminum. <a href="https://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/pubs/commodity/aluminum/">Aluminum </a>has always been one of the most common elements in the Earth’s crust, but it has not always been so easily obtained. In fact, the ceilings of the Library of Congress and the crown of the Washington Monument were once covered in aluminum as a symbol of status, because aluminum was worth more than silver. However, once scientists figured out how to extract aluminum from bauxite ore, aluminum suddenly became much easier to produce, and its value plummeted in turn.</p>
<p>As Time Goes By</p>
<p>This report updates another<a href="https://pubs.er.usgs.gov/publication/pp820"> USGS report from 1973</a>, which was published when many of the commodities that are covered in this new volume were only of minor importance. Today, advanced technologies have increased the demand for and production of mineral commodities for nearly all elements in the periodic table. </p>
<p>For instance, in the 1970s, <a href="https://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/pubs/commodity/rare_earths/">rare-earth elements</a> had few uses outside of some specialty fields, and were produced mostly in the United States. Today, rare-earth elements are integral to nearly all high-end electronics and are produced almost entirely in China.</p>
<p>Since 1973, there has also been a significant increase in knowledge about geologic and environmental issues related to production and use. This report addresses the sustainable development of each mineral commodity in order that the current needs of the Nation can be met without limiting the ability of future generations to meet their needs.</p>
<p>For each mineral commodity, the authors address how the commodity is used, the location of identified resources and their distribution nationally and globally, the state of current geologic knowledge, potential for finding additional deposits, and geoenvironmental issues that may be related to the production and uses of these mineral commodities.</p>
<p>Access the report <a href="https://doi.org/10.3133/pp1802">here</a>.</p>
<p>Meet the Minerals</p>
<p>So what are the 23 minerals and why are they critical? Read on:</p>
<a class="galleria-fullscreen-link">fullscreen</a>
<a href="https://prd-wret.s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/assets/palladium/production/s3fs-public/styles/full_width/public/thumbnails/image/Tantalite.jpg?itok=xaf6SNs9"></a> <a href="https://prd-wret.s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/assets/palladium/production/s3fs-public/styles/full_width/public/thumbnails/image/fluorite-telluride-sample-Cripple-Creek-CO.jpg?itok=5ry9r06p"></a> <a href="https://prd-wret.s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/assets/palladium/production/s3fs-public/styles/full_width/public/thumbnails/image/Stibnite-IMG_9200.jpg?itok=tSmgnU8y"></a> <a href="https://prd-wret.s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/assets/palladium/production/s3fs-public/styles/full_width/public/thumbnails/image/Spiegeleisen.jpg?itok=CI6caX-p"></a> <a href="https://prd-wret.s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/assets/palladium/production/s3fs-public/styles/full_width/public/thumbnails/image/Selenium_in_sandstone_Westwater_Canyon_Section_23_Mine_Grants%2C_New_Mexico.jpg?itok=2OQxvYT3"></a> <a href="https://prd-wret.s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/assets/palladium/production/s3fs-public/styles/full_width/public/thumbnails/image/Platinum-nugget.jpg?itok=EVvSObEx"></a> <a href="https://prd-wret.s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/assets/palladium/production/s3fs-public/styles/full_width/public/thumbnails/image/Niobium_crystals_and_1cm3_cube.jpg?itok=qT_rjC5N"></a> <a href="https://prd-wret.s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/assets/palladium/production/s3fs-public/styles/full_width/public/thumbnails/image/Indium.jpg?itok=KHhX7LHa"></a> <a href="https://prd-wret.s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/assets/palladium/production/s3fs-public/styles/full_width/public/thumbnails/image/Cobalt_OreUSGOV.jpg?itok=8-CBsNar"></a> <a href="https://prd-wret.s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/assets/palladium/production/s3fs-public/styles/full_width/public/thumbnails/image/Cassiterite09.jpg?itok=1MmtN7rd"></a> <a href="https://prd-wret.s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/assets/palladium/production/s3fs-public/styles/full_width/public/thumbnails/image/6158M-barite2.jpg?itok=uMr3iUex"></a> <a href="https://prd-wret.s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/assets/palladium/production/s3fs-public/styles/full_width/public/thumbnails/image/Bastnaesite-IMG_9245.jpg?itok=In7xT6cO"></a> <a href="https://prd-wret.s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/assets/palladium/production/s3fs-public/styles/full_width/public/thumbnails/image/Bauxite-IMG_9181.jpg?itok=qsA_kxOU"></a> <a href="https://prd-wret.s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/assets/palladium/production/s3fs-public/styles/full_width/public/thumbnails/image/Beryllium-IMG_9154.jpg?itok=jG2T0eX9"></a> <a href="https://prd-wret.s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/assets/palladium/production/s3fs-public/styles/full_width/public/thumbnails/image/Fluorite-IMG_9187.jpg?itok=1bYt6ide"></a> <a href="https://prd-wret.s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/assets/palladium/production/s3fs-public/styles/full_width/public/thumbnails/image/Graphite-IMG_9298.jpg?itok=C5k7OY-k"></a> <a href="https://prd-wret.s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/assets/palladium/production/s3fs-public/styles/full_width/public/thumbnails/image/Vanadinite-IMG_9228.jpg?itok=mGDWmnzj"></a> <a href="https://prd-wret.s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/assets/palladium/production/s3fs-public/styles/full_width/public/thumbnails/image/Titanium%20Ore-IMG_9290.jpg?itok=2MbImK2H"></a> <a href="https://prd-wret.s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/assets/palladium/production/s3fs-public/styles/full_width/public/thumbnails/image/Molybdenite-IMG_9155.jpg?itok=_vpGdmrO"></a> <a href="https://prd-wret.s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/assets/palladium/production/s3fs-public/styles/full_width/public/thumbnails/image/Alumina-Zirconia%20%28AZ%29%20Abrasive-IMG_9192.jpg?itok=tb0ErI_s"></a> <a href="https://prd-wret.s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/assets/palladium/production/s3fs-public/styles/full_width/public/thumbnails/image/Spodumene-IMG_9224.jpg?itok=BE4FTY8G"></a> <a href="https://prd-wret.s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/assets/palladium/production/s3fs-public/styles/full_width/public/thumbnails/image/Hafnium_bits.jpg?itok=vCMCdbGk"></a> <a href="https://prd-wret.s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/assets/palladium/production/s3fs-public/styles/full_width/public/thumbnails/image/Renierit_0.jpg?itok=zJgoQbaC"></a>
Status:&nbsp;PublishedScience Support:&nbsp;<a href="/science-support/communications-and-publishing">Communications and Publishing</a>
<p> </p>
<span class="date-display-single">December 19, 2017</span>apdemas@usgs.gov99207d5c-62ab-4329-b9f3-91fbb62e97a1USGS Estimates 40 Million Pounds of Potential Uranium Resources in Parts of Texas, New Mexico and Oklahomahttps://www.usgs.gov/news/usgs-estimates-40-million-pounds-potential-uranium-resources-parts-texas-new-mexico-and
<p>The U.S. Geological Survey estimates a mean of 40 million pounds of in-place uranium oxide remaining as potential undiscovered resources in the Southern High Plains region of Texas, New Mexico, and Oklahoma.</p>
<p>The uranium occurs in a type of rock formation called “calcrete,” which has been well-documented in noted uranium-producing countries like Australia and Namibia. The calcrete formations described in this assessment are the first uranium-bearing calcrete deposits reported in the United States.</p>
<a href="/media/images/calcrete-near-sulfur-springs-draw"></a>A calcrete outcropping near Sulfur Springs Draw in Texas. This deposit dates to the Pliocene and Pleistocene, and hosts uranium-vanadate minerals.(Credit: Susan Hall, USGS. Public domain.)
<p>The United States is the world’s largest consumer of uranium used in nuclear power plants, which provide approximately 19 percent of the Nation’s electricity. Substantial uranium resources are identified in the United States, yet only <a href="https://www.eia.gov/uranium/marketing/">11 percent</a> of uranium purchased by civilian nuclear power reactors during 2016 was obtained from domestic sources.</p>
<p>“Planning for long-term sustainable nuclear power in the United States requires evaluation of both identified and potential undiscovered resources,” said Tom Crafford, program coordinator for the <a href="https://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/pubs/commodity/vanadium/">USGS Mineral Resources Program</a>. “That’s where USGS science comes in. Identifying and understanding our domestic mineral wealth is a vital part of ensuring the security of our supply chain for these resources.”</p>
<a href="/media/images/southern-high-plains-uranium-assessment-area-map"></a>The areas covered in this uranium assessment.(Public domain.)
<p>The assessment focuses on a region known as the Southern High Plains, which stretch from eastern New Mexico across North Texas to western Oklahoma. The assessment area is divided into a northern and southern portion, with the southern portion estimated to contain 80 percent of the undiscovered resources. For comparison, the two known deposits, Buzzard Draw and Sulfur Springs Draw, both located in Texas, contain a combined total of 2.7 million pounds of uranium oxide.</p>
<p>“Texas is well-known for its energy potential, from petroleum to wind to uranium,” said Walter Guidroz, program coordinator of the <a href="https://energy.usgs.gov/otherenergy/uranium.aspx">USGS Energy Resources Program</a>. “In fact, in 2015, we released another assessment of <a href="https://www.usgs.gov/news/estimates-potential-uranium-south-texas-could-equal-five-years-us-needs">uranium in South Texas</a>, where we estimated a mean of about 5 years of U.S. uranium needs.”</p>
<a href="/media/images/finchite-carnotite-and-celestine"></a>Intergrown Finchite and Carnotite (yellowish minerals) with Celestine (white/clear mineral). (Image courtesy of Travis Olds, University of Notre Dame)
<p>The current assessment of the Southern High Plains yielded another surprise—a new uranium mineral species. Discovered near Sulphur Springs Draw in Texas, the new mineral was named <a href="https://www.usgs.gov/news/new-uranium-mineral-named-usgs-scientist">finchite</a>, after long-time USGS uranium scientist Warren Finch (1924—2014).</p>
<p>“This assessment was especially exciting for us, as not only did we get to discover a new species of mineral, but we also had the opportunity to honor a friend and celebrated colleague,” said USGS scientist Susan Hall, lead author of the assessment. “Dr. Finch’s long service and contributions to uranium science now live on through this new mineral, which itself has the potential to contribute to the Nation’s energy mix.”</p>
<a href="/media/images/southern-high-plains-0"></a>The Southern High Plains of New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas. USGS conducted a uranium assessment in this region in 2015.(Public domain.)
<p>Finchite is a unique combination of <a href="https://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/pubs/commodity/strontium/">strontium</a>, uranium, <a href="https://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/pubs/commodity/vanadium/">vanadium</a>, and water, and is a potential source of mineable uranium ore. Today, it is part of the Southern High Plains, a region that has drawn little attention for uranium resource potential. That may change, given the qualities of the uranium deposits.</p>
<p>“The calcrete uranium deposits within this region have the advantage of shallow depth and soft host rock,” said USGS scientist Brad Van Gosen, co-author of the assessment. “These qualities work well for open-pit mining, assuming uranium prices and other factors are favorable.”</p>
<a href="/media/images/usgs-scientist-examining-texas-rock-layers-finchite-minerals"></a>USGS scientist Bradley Van Gosen examines rock layers for the newly discovered mineral finchite near Lamesa, Texas. Van Gosen was the first to recognize the existence of the new mineral, which was named for long-time USGS uranium geologist Warren Finch. Read more about our uranium research <a data-cke-saved-href="https://energy.usgs.gov/otherenergy/uranium.aspx" href="https://energy.usgs.gov/otherenergy/uranium.aspx">here</a>. (Credit: Susan Hall, USGS. Public domain.)
<p>The assessment can be accessed <a href="https://doi.org/10.3133/fs20173078">here</a>. Other USGS research regarding uranium potential can be found <a href="https://energy.usgs.gov/OtherEnergy/Uranium.aspx">here</a>. Stay up to date with USGS energy science by subscribing to our <a href="https://energy.usgs.gov/GeneralInfo/Newsletter.aspx">Newsletter</a> or following us on <a href="https://twitter.com/usgsenergy">Twitter</a>.</p>
<span class="date-display-single">November 14, 2017</span>apdemas@usgs.govd53b31ad-4b13-4813-945a-2f7a9c1ea855EarthWord–Discoveryhttps://www.usgs.gov/news/earthword-discovery
<p>EarthWords is an on-going series in which we shed some light on the complicated, often difficult-to-pronounce language of science. Think of us as your terminology tour-guides, and meet us back here every week for a new word!</p>
<a href="/media/images/collecting-a-gas-hydrate-research-core-indian-ocean"></a>Scientists aboard the D/S Chikyu prepare to collect a research core drilled from marine sediments in the Indian Ocean. This research is part of the 2015 Indian National Gas Hydrate Program Expedition 02 (NGHP-02), which is a follow-up to the 2006 NGHP-01. <br />NGHP-02 identified several large deposits of potentially producible gas hydrates in the Indian Ocean. This project was led by the Government of India, with scientists from Japan and the United States, including the U.S. Geological Survey. Read more <a data-cke-saved-href="https://www.usgs.gov/news/large-deposits-potentially-producible-gas-hydrate-found-indian-ocean" href="https://www.usgs.gov/news/large-deposits-potentially-producible-gas-hydrate-found-indian-ocean">here</a>. (Credit: Tim Collett, USGS. Public domain.)
<p>The EarthWord: Discovery</p>
<p>Definition:</p>
<p>This one sounds pretty self-explanatory, but it actually has a very specific meaning, at least in the field of energy and mineral resources.</p>
<p>A “discovery” typically is an official announcement by a private company that shows an energy or mineral resource is present. For instance, in the oil and gas world, a <a href="https://www.eia.gov/dnav/ng/TblDefs/ng_enr_shalegas_tbldef2.asp">discovery well</a> is the first well that reveals the presence of a petroleum-bearing reservoir. Information on new oil field discoveries is compiled and reported <a href="https://www.eia.gov/dnav/pet/pet_crd_pres_dcu_NUS_a.htm">by the EIA</a>.</p>
<p>Etymology:</p>
<p><a href="http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=discover&amp;allowed_in_frame=0">Discovery </a>comes from the Latin prefix dis, meaning "opposite of” and the Latin word cooperire, meaning "to cover up.”</p>
<p>Use/Significance in the Earth Science Community:</p>
<p>Discoveries are the primary way that companies identify that an energy or mineral resource actually exists. A discovery is not always economic (commercially favorable) to produce, and a discovery may require additional testing and study, but it is a necessary precursor to production (before it contributes to our energy and mineral supplies).</p>
<p>USGS Use:</p>
<p>USGS energy and mineral resources assessments are not discoveries. USGS does not explore for new energy or mineral resources, but does collect rock, core, and other samples to help better understand how these resources form and the geological occurrence of these resources on a regional scale.</p>
<p>Examples include studies of the <a href="https://www.usgs.gov/media/images/drilling-a-core-eagle-ford">Eagle Ford shale</a> and our <a href="https://energy.usgs.gov/GeneralInfo/EnergyNewsroomAll/TabId/770/ArtMID/3941/ArticleID/1230/Results-of-the-India-National-Gas-Hydrate-Program-Expedition-02.aspx">collaborative research on gas hydrates</a>.</p>
<p>Instead, USGS assesses undiscovered resources, providing estimates of energy and mineral resources that we estimate to exist based on our understanding of the geology and our statistical models, and current industry practices, such as the types of technology used to develop and produce discovered resources. These estimates would have to be proven through discovery. When USGS releases a new resource assessment, this takes into account available information from previous discoveries and and production made by industry.</p>
<a href="/media/images/mckelvey-diagram"></a>A McKelvey box, a diagram that shows the difference between resources and reserves. As one travels from resources to reserves, both geologic certainty and economic feasibility increase.<br />(Public domain.)
<p>Read more about our energy resource assessments <a href="https://energy.usgs.gov/">here </a>and about our mineral resource assessments <a href="https://minerals.usgs.gov/">here</a>.</p>
<p>Next EarthWord: Our Energy Week is heating up with this next EarthWord...</p>
<p>Hungry for some science, but you don’t have time for a full-course research plate? Then check out <a href="https://www.usgs.gov/news/science-snippets">USGS Science Snippets</a>, our snack-sized science series that focuses on the fun, weird, and fascinating stories of USGS science.</p>
<span class="date-display-single">October 11, 2017</span>apdemas@usgs.gov408af05f-71b1-4c9c-98c8-21aa34958ae6New Uranium Mineral Named for USGS Scientisthttps://www.usgs.gov/news/new-uranium-mineral-named-usgs-scientist
<p>USGS field and laboratory studies led to just such a discovery, approved and announced by the International Mineralogical Association – Commission on New Minerals, Nomenclature and Classification with the naming of a newly discovered mineral, “finchite.” Finchite is a greenish-yellow uranium mineral that has been named after long-time USGS uranium geologist Warren Finch.</p>
<a href="/media/images/finchite-mineral-0"></a>A sample of finchite, a newly discovered uranium mineral. Finchite is the yellow material on the surface of the rock. Finchite is found in the late Pleistocene sediments deposited during the Illinoian glacial stage. It was first observed in Martin County, Texas. Read more about our uranium research <a data-cke-saved-href="https://energy.usgs.gov/otherenergy/uranium.aspx" href="https://energy.usgs.gov/otherenergy/uranium.aspx">here</a>. (Credit: Susan Hall, USGS. Public domain.)
<p>A New Mineral is Unearthed</p>
<p>The road to finchite’s discovery began, as with many newly discovered minerals, with exploration for a mine. In the late 1970s, industry identified a potentially profitable uranium deposit at Sulfur Springs Draw, a creek bed located in west Texas. After drilling nearly 700 bore holes into the deposit, the company estimated 2.1 million metric tons of uranium ore lay just below the surface.</p>
<a href="/media/images/usgs-scientist-examining-texas-rock-layers-finchite-minerals"></a>USGS scientist Bradley Van Gosen examines rock layers for the newly discovered mineral finchite near Lamesa, Texas. Van Gosen was the first to recognize the existence of the new mineral, which was named for long-time USGS uranium geologist Warren Finch. Read more about our uranium research <a data-cke-saved-href="https://energy.usgs.gov/otherenergy/uranium.aspx" href="https://energy.usgs.gov/otherenergy/uranium.aspx">here</a>. (Credit: Susan Hall, USGS. Public domain.)
<p>Due to a trench at the prospect, USGS scientists were able to study the exposed rock layers. In 2015, USGS scientists were examining some sandstone and carbonate layers when they found a yellow-green mineral that was thought to be one of the more common uranium minerals. However, microscopic analyses of the mineral by the USGS revealed a previously unreported assemblage of elements. Then USGS scientists joined with researchers from the University of Notre Dame to determine if it was indeed a new species of mineral.</p>
<a href="/media/images/scanning-electron-microscope-image-finchite"></a>A scanning electron microscope image of the newly discovered mineral finchite. The Denver Microbeam Lab provided this scan of finchite in order to help describe and identify the mineral as a new one. Finchite is a uranium mineral first observed in Martin County, Texas. Read more about our uranium research <a data-cke-saved-href="https://energy.usgs.gov/otherenergy/uranium.aspx" href="https://energy.usgs.gov/otherenergy/uranium.aspx">here</a>. (Credit: Susan Hall, USGS. Public domain.)
<p>After subjecting the mineral to a battery of tests, and coordinating with the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County to gather optical measurements and arrange to archive a sample of the mineral, the scientists determined that, indeed, the mineral was a brand new type of uranium mineral not previously recognized. Now, the only question was what to name it?</p>
<a href="/media/images/usgs-scientist-warren-finch"></a>USGS scientist Warren Finch.(Credit: Carol Hamer. Public domain.)
<p>Honoring a Legacy</p>
<p>The scientists decided to name it “finchite” in honor of USGS scientist Warren Finch (1924—2014), whose career had been defined by the study of uranium and the exploration for sources of it. In fact, not only did he inaugurate a program at USGS devoted to uranium and thorium, he was recognized internationally for his expertise. For decades, Warren served the International Atomic Energy Agency as the U.S. representative and technical expert in the areas of uranium resources, uranium resource estimation, and particularly the geology of sandstone-hosted uranium deposits. He also wrote definitive studies of uranium that are still cited today.</p>
<p>The new mineral honors Warren Finch’s long service and contributions to uranium science. In addition, it adds to our body of knowledge about how uranium minerals form and ensures that Finch’s legacy of research continues today at the USGS.</p>
<a href="/media/images/finchite-carnotite-and-celestine"></a>Intergrown Finchite and Carnotite (yellowish minerals) with Celestine (white/clear mineral). (Credit: Travis Olds, University of Notre Dame. Image courtesy of Travis Olds, University of Notre Dame)
<p>Finchite Fast Facts:</p>
First discovered in 2015
Found near Lamesa, Texas
Likely formed when dissolved components became minerals as the water evaporated
Deposited during the Pleistocene, also known as the Ice Age, when mastodons and saber-toothed cats roamed North Amrica
The mineral is a unique combination of strontium, uranium, vanadium, and water
The mineral is a source of fuel for nuclear reactors, which provide about 20% of the electricity we use in the US
The mineral is part of a deposit in a region previously not recognized to host uranium deposits in northern Texas
If mined would provide a domestic source for uranium, about 90% of which is imported to the US
<p>Read more about USGS uranium research <a href="https://energy.usgs.gov/otherenergy/uranium.aspx">here</a>.</p>
<span class="date-display-single">October 1, 2017</span>apdemas@usgs.govc576302c-ad01-4f58-b81f-bcaa663b693aHelicopter Study to Map Beneath Mountain Watershed Near Crested Buttehttps://www.usgs.gov/news/helicopter-study-map-beneath-mountain-watershed-near-crested-butte
<p>Residents in and around Crested Butte, Colorado, may see a safe, low-flying helicopter towing a hula-hoop-shaped object beginning in early October and lasting for approximately two weeks.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The airborne device, contracted by the U.S. Geological Survey through <a href="http://www.geotech.ca">Geotech</a>, will be collecting critical geophysical data in support of interdisciplinary geologic and hydrogeologic studies, and fly about 200 feet above the ground surface.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The USGS and partners are conducting the survey to map the uppermost part of Earth’s crust—often termed the Critical Zone—within the East River and adjacent areas near Crested Butte.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The helicopter and hoop will collect data along pre-planned flight grids within the East River and surrounding areas. A sensor that resembles a large hula-hoop will be towed beneath the helicopter to measure tiny voltages that can be used to map Earth’s subsurface. The USGS will analyze these data to characterize subsurface sediment and rock properties. </p>
<a href="/media/images/geotech-vtem-system"></a>Geotech VTEM (Versatile Time Domain Electromagnetic) system on a previous mission. Courtesy Geotech.<br />(Public domain.)
<p> </p>
<p>“Detailed information about subsurface geology is critically important for understanding how groundwater is transported through a watershed and how its path can impact the chemistry of streams and rivers,” said Dr. Burke Minsley, a USGS research geophysicist. “However, this type of subsurface data is difficult to obtain, especially in remote and rugged environments. This survey will provide invaluable new underground insights to depths of up to 500 feet that will contribute to an improved understanding of this region, with foundational new data at the critical watershed scale, which cannot be readily obtained by any other means.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>These data are critically important to understand where groundwater flows. This knowledge contributes to a greater regional understanding of the quality and quantity of water available throughout the headwaters of the Gunnison Basin. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>This survey is being conducted in close coordination with a <a href="http://tes.science.energy.gov/research/summary/ees2016.shtml">related U.S. Department of Energy grant</a> awarded to the USGS. The work is being carried out in cooperation with the Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory, the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory’s Watershed Function Scientific Focus Area and affiliated DOE funded projects that focus on developing new understanding of mountain headwater systems.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The airborne geophysical survey data and models will be released to the public following completion of the survey.</p>
<a href="/media/images/map-crested-butte-low-level-flight-study-area"></a>Airborne geophysical survey area in the vicinity of Crested Butte, Colorado. A flight grid will cover the shaded area (noted in red outline), but acquisition will not occur directly over populated areas or areas of very steep terrain.<br />(Public domain.)
<p> </p>
<span class="date-display-single">September 25, 2017</span>hkoontz@usgs.gov27ba856c-91c7-431d-93b3-955e71c0da69Stitching Together the New Digital Geologic Quilt of the United Stateshttps://www.usgs.gov/news/stitching-together-new-digital-geologic-quilt-united-states
<p>Fortunately, in an effort with needlepoint detail, the U.S. Geological Survey has stitched together geologic maps of the Lower 48 States, providing a seamless quilt of 48 State geologic maps that range from 1:50,000 to 1:1,000,000 scale.</p>
<p>The new product, called the USGS <a href="https://doi.org/10.5066/F7WH2N65">State Geologic Map Compilation</a>, is a database compilation based on the Preliminary Integrated Geologic Map Databases for the United States. It provides a standardized Geographic Information System format that allows users to more readily conduct spatial analyses of lithology, age, and stratigraphy at a national-scale. As an example, a named rock unit (Dakota sandstone) might be called something different from State to State, on their respective State geologic maps. In the new database, rock units are characterized by their type (lithology) like "sandstone or granite" not by their formal name. This consistency across the single database now makes it easier for users to access information, rather than having to collect it from multiple databases.</p>
<p>One Database, Many Users</p>
<p>The shale oil boom: how much oil is really there? Critical minerals: does the United States have what it needs for your smartphone, air conditioner and car, let alone our military? Earthquakes and volcanoes: which hazards do we face? All these questions are addressed with geologic maps!</p>
<p>Geologic information forms the bedrock of much of the work USGS does. On the traditional geologic research side, these data will inform assessments of energy and mineral resources, quantifying volcano and earthquake hazards, and mitigation of potential environmental effects from mining.</p>
<p>However, high-quality geologic maps and their underlying databases extend beyond the obvious links. Tracking groundwater—an important source of drinking water and irrigation to millions in the United States—requires accurate data about rock formations and faults (the groundwater’s plumbing, as it were). In addition, understanding the nature of geologic formations can assist with infrastructure development, such as where to put dams and bridges, as well as agricultural planning.</p>
<p>Finally, a national digital geologic map database is vital to those who use other national-scale datasets, such as geochemistry, remote sensing, and geophysical data. Trying to match a national-scale dataset with a dataset of just Mississippi, for instance, would open the door to confusion, mistakes, and some serious Delta blues.</p>
<a href="/media/images/state-geologic-map-compilation-web-viewer-screenshot"></a>A screenshot of the State Geologic Map Compilation, showing the layer navigation menu. (Public domain.)
<p>New Maps, New Data, and Easier to Use</p>
<p>The State Geologic Map Compilation includes the following seven new State geologic maps that have been released since the original Preliminary Integrated Geologic Map Databases were published: Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Montana, Nevada, and Vermont. The State Geologic Map Compilation also incorporates new supplemental data for the States of California, Indiana, New Jersey, New Mexico, and North Carolina. In addition, the surface geologic maps for North Dakota and South Dakota have been replaced with updated bedrock geologic maps.</p>
<p>We corrected numerous errors and added enhancements to the preliminary datasets using thorough quality assurance/quality control procedures. We ensured attributes adhered to data dictionaries created for the compilation process and corrected spatial and topological errors. Also, we have standardized the geologic data contained in each State geologic map to allow spatial analyses of lithology, age, and stratigraphy at a national scale. </p>
<p>The changes make the data more consistent between the States as well as with the original State geologic maps. It also streamlines tasks that previously required combining multiple geographic information system datasets and tables.</p>
<p>Stitching the Pieces Together</p>
<p>This new product is like a quilt, with a top layer that is pieced together from many pieces of cloth and a single piece of cloth underneath that forms the backing. In our analogy, the top layer is a GIS map layer that stitches together individual state geologic maps to form a national map, and the bottom layer (or backing) is a single consistently formatted database that means each of the pieces on top have the same structure underpinning them. Now that a newly updated, single database (backing) is holding all the information, multiple individual pieces can be viewed and queried as a whole.</p>
<p>Prior to the State Geologic Map Compilation, we had standardized individual GIS databases for each state, but none of them were connected. Anytime someone wanted to do national or regional scale work, they had to go to multiple databases, then piece what they wanted together. The improvements to this updated version create a single, conterminous State geologic map database.</p>
<a href="/media/images/state-geologic-maps-compilation-zoom"></a>Series of images that show how users of the State Geologic Map Compilation can zoom in from broad national scale to more a detailed local scale. The more detailed image is of the Bingham canyon mine area in Utah. (Public domain.)
<p>Putting Geology on the Map</p>
<p>For the visual learners out there, map services of the State Geologic Map Compilation data have been created which can be used in numerous web mapping applications including the USGS National Map. This allows the data to be explored without specialized geographic information systems software. To use it, go <a href="https://www.sciencebase.gov/arcgis/rest/services/Catalog/5888bf4fe4b05ccb964bab9d/MapServer">here</a>, then use the “Add Data” button on most web mapping applications to access the data in web browsers.</p>
<p>The State Geologic Map Compilation map service has also been added to the <a href="https://cmerwebmap.cr.usgs.gov/usminmap/">National Map of Surficial Mineralogy</a> web mapping application [Layers List - "Lithology (State Geologic Maps)" and "Geologic Structure (State Geologic Maps)"]. Users can explore the data along with the other layers including remote sensing (ASTER and Landsat7), various mineral deposits data, and numerous types of basemap data.</p>
<p>Out of Many, One...Database, That Is</p>
<p>Just as quilts are rarely the work of a single needle, this mosaic of geologic maps and data was sewn by many hands. The State Geologic Map Compilation of the Conterminous United States was developed by the USGS Mineral Resources Program. The project owes its success to numerous USGS Mineral Resources Program staff who originally compiled the Preliminary Integrated Geologic Map Databases for the United States as well as the foundational geologic mapping work completed by U.S. State Geologic Surveys and academia. Special thanks to the Montana Bureau of Mines &amp; Geology for their tremendous work in preparing the Geologic Map of Montana to be included in the State Geologic Map Compilation.</p>
<a href="/media/images/state-geologic-maps"></a>A screenshot of the State Geologic Map Compilation. (Public domain.)
<p>What’s Next?</p>
<p>As mentioned previously, one limitation of the State Geologic Map Compilation is that geologic units haven’t been integrated across state boundaries. That means that, in some locations, a geologic formation that spans the border of, say, Colorado and Kansas might be represented by polygons with different names in Colorado and Kansas. We preserve what the States named each rock unit, then we use a standardized rock coding to show what kind of rock the unit is, regardless of what it is named. So now, for instance, if you wanted, you could look for every shale formation in the Lower 48 that was the same age as the oil-rich Bakken Formation of North Dakota and Montana.</p>
<p>A long-term goal of the USGS is eventually to have a fully integrated geologic map at useful scales of the entire country. That map and its underlying databases would be invaluable to Federal, State, and local government, as well as private companies and academia. It would greatly enhance studies of mineral resources, groundwater resources, geologic natural hazards, and aspects of environmental health, as well as agricultural and infrastructure planning. It is no exaggeration to say it could serve as the foundation for a renaissance in Earth science in the United States.</p>
<span class="date-display-single">August 21, 2017</span>apdemas@usgs.gov51b22f44-4810-4bd1-8794-cde2893d2b0eMEDIA ADVISORY: Upcoming Low-Level Flights in Oklahoma to Image Unmapped Faults and Underground Geologyhttps://www.usgs.gov/news/media-advisory-upcoming-low-level-flights-oklahoma-image-unmapped-faults-and-underground
<p>Scientists with the U.S. Geological Survey and Oklahoma Geological Survey are teaming up to better understand the location of deep faults and subsurface geology via airborne technology.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>USGS and OGS are contracting <a href="http://www.goldak.ca/">Goldak Airborne Surveys</a> to conduct surveys that will fly over 18 counties in the southwestern and north-central part of the state. The goal is to capture 3-D images of geology beneath the Earth’s surface for earthquake hazard and mineral resources.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Weather permitting, the surveys will take approximately 6-10 weeks to complete. Operations will be based out of Altus, Oklahoma.</p>
<p> </p>
<a href="/media/images/map-oklahoma-low-level-flight-study-area-approximate"></a>1:750,000, 1 sheet.(Public domain.)
<p>A media availability will occur on August 14 at 1:30 p.m. in Altus, and on August 15 at 12 p.m. in Norman.</p>
<p>Monday, August 14, Altus: View the planes and technology that will be used for the surveys. USGS scientist Dr. Anji Shah will be available for interview.</p>
<p>Where: <a href="https://www.google.com/maps/place/5605+N+Main+St,+Altus,+OK+73521/@34.6757051,-99.3362792,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x87ab653207eb2d05:0x9924c815956b1933!8m2!3d34.6757051!4d-99.3340905">Altus Quartz Mt. Regional Airport, 5605 N Main St, Altus, OK 73521</a></p>
<p>When: 1:30 p.m. - 3 p.m.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Tuesday, August 15, Norman: Dr. Shah and Dr. Jeremy Boak, Director, Oklahoma Geological Survey, will be available to discuss the project and provide interviews.</p>
<p>Where: <a href="https://www.google.com/maps/dir/35.2106172,-97.4404103/@35.210617,-97.44041,16z?hl=en-US">University of Oklahoma, Oklahoma Geological Survey, 100 East Boyd Street, Suite N131, Norman, Oklahoma 73019</a></p>
<p>When: 12 p.m.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>PLEASE CONTACT Heidi Koontz, 720-320-1246 or <a href="mailto:hkoontz@usgs.gov">hkoontz@usgs.gov</a>, if you plan to attend or send crews either event.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Oklahoma has been experiencing increased seismicity since about 2009. Many of these earthquakes occur on faults that haven’t been mapped,” said USGS scientist and project lead Dr. Anji Shah. “In order to better understand local seismic hazards, the USGS and OGS will use the new data to work towards improved fault maps.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Instruments on the airplane will measure variations in the Earth’s magnetic field created by different rock types up to several miles beneath the surface. The magnetic field maps will help with imaging faults as well as intrusions, which are rocks formed by ancient volcanic eruptions that never reached the surface. The scientific instruments on the airplane are completely passive, with no emissions that pose a risk to humans, animals, or plant life.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Survey areas will include parts of Alfalfa, Beckham, Comanche, Greer, Harmon, Kiowa, Jackson, Lincoln, Logan, Major, Noble, Pawnee, Payne, Pottawatomie, Stephens, Tillman, Woods and Woodward counties.</p>
<a href="/media/images/map-oklahoma-low-level-flight-study-area-approximate"></a>Map of Oklahoma low-level flight airborne survey areas, along with previous earthquakes and existing faults. Earthquakes are from the NEIC, faults from OGS, full reference for faults is Northcutt, R. A., and J. A. Campbell (1995), Geologic provinces of Oklahoma, Oklahoma Geol. Surv. Open File Rep., 5-95, scale
<p> </p>
<a href="/media/images/low-flying-airplane-maps-oklahoma-faults-and-geology"></a>(Credit: Bill Heath, Goldak Airborne Surveys. Public domain.)
<span class="date-display-single">August 11, 2017</span>hkoontz@usgs.gov40521fa9-f36a-4915-a95b-6f737d52ab9dUSGS Assesses Billions of Potential Potash Resources in Ukrainehttps://www.usgs.gov/news/usgs-assesses-billions-potential-potash-resources-ukraine
<p>The term “potash” refers to potassium-bearing, water-soluble salts like potassium chloride derived from evaporite basins, where seawater evaporated and precipitated various salt compounds. In 2010, world potash production was about 33 million metric tons, mostly for use in fertilizers.</p>
<p>Potash resources are often expressed in terms of the amount of potassium oxide (K2O) that can be obtained from the potassium-bearing salt. For instance, the 4.3 billion tons of potassium-bearing salt in the Dnieper-Donets Basin is the equivalent of 840 million tons K2O, while the 80–200 billion metric tons of potassium-bearing salt in the Pripyat Basin could contain 15-30 billion metric tons of K2O.</p>
<p>Canada was the largest producer of potash (9.5 million metric tons in 2010), followed by Russia, Belarus, China, Germany, Israel and Jordan. Potash is produced in many countries throughout the world, but production is concentrated in North America and Eurasia. Each of the 12 major potash-producing countries produced 1 million metric ton or more in 2010; production from other countries was less than 1 million metric ton each.</p>
<a href="/media/images/dnieper-donets-basin"></a>A map showing the assessed areas in Bgelarus and Ukraine.<br />(Public domain.)
<p>The Pripyat Basin in Belarus is currently the third largest global producer of potassium-bearing salts, and published reserves in the Pripyat Basin are about 7.3 billion metric tons of potassium-bearing salt (or about 1.3 to 1.4 billion metric tons of K2O). Published potash resources in the Pripyat Basin are estimated to depths of about 1,200 meters. Potash mining began in the Pripyat Basin in 1963 and continues to the present day. In 2012, six conventional underground mines produced 4.04 million metric tons of potash (as K2O) from four potash horizons.</p>
<p>In this report, additional undiscovered resources in the Pripyat Basin that could be recovered at depths to 3,000 meters from up to 60 potash-bearing horizons were estimated to be in the range of 80–200 billion metric tons of potassium-bearing salt and could contain 15 to 30 billion metric tons of K2O. Recovery of these deeper resources is possible by solution methods aided by high geothermal temperatures.</p>
<p>The probabilistic assessment examined 248 salt structures in the Dnieper-Donets Basin and found that as many as 11 potash-bearing salt deposits may be present. As part of the assessment, the Pripyat and Dnieper-Donets Basins were subdivided into four tracts, also known as permissive areas, for evaluation: the stratabound Famennian age salt of the Pripyat tract in the Pripyat Basin, the stratabound Famennian age salt of the Dnieper-Donets tract in the northwestern part of the Dnieper-Donets Basin, the Famennian age salt in halokinetic structures in the Dnieper-Donets tract, and stratabound Cisuralian age salt of the Dnieper-Donets tract. The halokinetic Dnieper-Donets tract was quantitatively assessed using the USGS three-part assessment methodology. The other tracts, which contained varying amounts of publically accessible geologic data, were only qualitatively assessed.</p>
<p>Although salt (as halite), probably from Cisuralian strata, is being recovered from five conventional underground mines in the Dnieper-Donets Basin, potash production is not recorded. Published potash resources were estimated to be 794 million metric tons of potassium-bearing salt (or the equivalent of 50 to 150 million metric tons of K2O) in one of the eleven Cisuralian subbasins of the Dnieper-Donets Basin. Additional undiscovered resources may be present in the other subbasins.</p>
<p>This report provides an updated and expanded compilation and interpretation of the geology and extent of known potash occurrences and deposits in the Pripyat and Dnieper-Donets Basins, most of which was derived from older Russian language scientific literature. A geodatabase of the located geologic data and mines accompanies this report.</p>
<p>The assessment can be found <a href="https://pubs.er.usgs.gov/publication/sir20105090BB">here</a>. The <a href="http://minerals.usgs.gov/">USGS Mineral Resources Program </a>delivers unbiased science and information to understand mineral resource potential, production, consumption, and how minerals interact with the environment. To keep up-to-date on USGS mineral research, follow us on <a href="https://twitter.com/usgsminerals">Twitter</a>!</p>
<span class="date-display-single">August 3, 2017</span>apdemas@usgs.gov3acb3e99-4e6a-4cb4-9b01-3149aa97aa5fRich, Attractive, and Extremely Shallowhttps://www.usgs.gov/news/rich-attractive-and-extremely-shallow
<p>So how do you find a potential mineral deposit when it’s buried underground?</p>
<p>Perhaps it's a geo-physical attraction...</p>
<p>Just as someone's personality characteristics might be attractive, certain geophysical characteristics are appealing to scientists searching for potential mineral deposits. USGS scientists are <a href="https://minerals.usgs.gov/science/continental-geophysics-critical-metals/index.html">using geophysical characteristics </a>and techniques to map the geology of large areas in the middle part of the U.S. This region has the potential to host iron deposits.</p>
<a href="/media/images/mid-continent-area"></a>Map showing large part of the United States referred to as the southern mid-continent region.(Public domain.)
<p>Looking beyond the surface...</p>
<p>The majority of rocks that host the iron mineralization are buried under meters to kilometers of sedimentary rock. This means we can't see how deep the mineralization is or if it even exists; its true nature is concealed. Scientists approach this problem using geophysical techniques to help "see" below the surface and uncover the underlying geology.</p>
<p>Iron deposits are great geophysical targets for magnetic and gravity surveying because they are typically magnetic and dense; both properties are associated with the increased amount of iron minerals in the rocks. Rocks with high density change the local pull of gravity enough to be sensed by a gravimeter. Importantly, these types of deposits can be also very rich in other significant metals such as copper, gold, and rare earth elements. </p>
<p>Some of the most important strategic deposits provide valuable metals that are essential for domestic and high technology and military industries. These critical metal deposits include iron-oxide-copper-gold, igneous rare earth element, and platinum group element ore bodies. The iron deposits in southeast Missouri originated from magmas that formed in the mantle over 1.4 billion years ago. Using regional magnetic and gravity data, we are studying how the magmas that produced the rocks that host the deposits traveled from the mantle upward to the shallow crust where we see them today. We are modeling the data to image, in 3-D, the earth’s crust across depths that go from the surface to as deep as 30 to 45 kilometers. </p>
<a href="/media/images/mapping-subsurface-st-francois-mountain-terrane"></a>Gravity, magnetic, and integrated analysis maps of the St. Francois Mountain terrane of the Mid-Continent of the United States.(Public domain.)
<p>Did you say Mr. Terrific or magnetotelluric? </p>
<p>No successful relationships are one-sided. Likewise, we have many partners that have helped gather and collect data. <a href="https://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=501035">Earthscope</a>, a program of the National Science Foundation that has deployed thousands of geophysical instruments, allows us to map the earth’s subsurface electrical conductivity using <a href="http://www.usarray.org/researchers/obs/magnetotelluric">magnetotelluric</a> data. Magnetotellurics (MT) is a geophysical technique that images resistivity, or how well rocks conduct electricity, on depth scales ranging from hundreds of meters to hundreds of kilometers. MT is an electromagnetic method in which naturally-occurring electromagnetic signals induce tiny electrical currents in the Earth, similar to how an induction stove induces currents in a pot in order to heat it.</p>
<a href="/media/images/earth-cross-section"></a>A cross-section of the Earth, showing the sub-surface layers that are being mapped.(Public domain.)
<p>What’s our contribution to this relationship?</p>
<p>Along with the magnetic and gravity data, the MT data provide one more geophysical characteristic that helps reveal the subsurface geology. This type of data doesn’t cover the entire U.S., so, as part of our project, the USGS is collecting <a href="https://minerals.usgs.gov/science/continental-geophysics-critical-metals/index.html#tasks">new MT data</a> to fill in missing areas.</p>
<p>Members of the public, including the mining industry and academia, may be interested in large scale data from our projects because of its wide uses. The kinds of geophysical data we collect and use contribute to mapping the architecture of Earth’s crust. In our research, these data are important to map deep crustal and mantle structures, some of which may control where mineral deposits form.</p>
<a href="/media/images/geophysical-modeling-mid-continent"></a>Side-by-side comparisons of magnetic and density models across iron oxide deposits in the Mid-Continent region of the United States.(Public domain.)
<p>After the Honeymoon</p>
<p>Just like with all relationships, it’s good to have a plan for the long-term. We are leveraging these data, along with state-of-the art in-house 3D modeling approaches, to better understand the deep plumbing of these important critical metal ore systems. </p>
<p>Ultimately, our goals are twofold. First, to advance the current understanding of North America’s tectonic evolution. Second, to improve our understanding of how heat, magma, and fluids interact at shallow and sometimes great depths in order to form large mineralized systems. Our work can be used by the private sector to define prospective critical mineral deposits in the southern mid-continent of the United States.</p>
<p>Read more about this project <a href="https://minerals.usgs.gov/science/continental-geophysics-critical-metals/index.html">here</a>. Stay up-to-date with our other attractive projects by following us on <a href="http://www.twitter.com/usgsminerals">Twitter</a>.</p>
<span class="date-display-single">July 17, 2017</span>apdemas@usgs.gova05ece3c-1ed7-4470-82a8-15e7833a0ca6Slag-What is it Good for?https://www.usgs.gov/news/slag-what-it-good
<p>But some recent research here at USGS might change slag’s poor public image. It turns out that, although slag is most known for being what’s left when metals have been removed, slag itself might be good at removing some negative chemicals from the environment.</p>
<a href="/media/images/steel-making-slag"></a>Pile of steelmaking slag at the ArcelorMittal Indiana Harbor steelmaking facility, Indiana. Photograph by Nadine Piatak, USGS.<br />(Public domain.)
<p>Environmental Antacids</p>
<p>Sometimes hard rock mining can give the environment a bit of excess acid, in the form of acid mine drainage. Acid mine drainage can happen when air and water mingle with various minerals such as iron sulfide (also known as pyrite or Fool’s Gold), creating sulfuric acid. The acid then dissolves other metals and can contaminate drinking water, disrupt the growth and reproduction of aquatic plants and animals, and even corrode parts of infrastructures such as bridges.</p>
<p>But as our recent research shows, the high calcium content of slag can actually neutralize the acid from acid mine drainage, much like the antacid you take for indigestion after a big meal. Not only that, but it can even reduce acids that have built up in soils.</p>
<p>We looked specifically at ferrous slag, the leftover material from the smelting of iron and steel, in the Chicago-Gary area of Illinois and Indiana. Ferrous slag is currently underutilized. Although the construction industry does use some slag as an aggregate, most is simply discarded. However, slag could be used to treat acid soils or acid mine drainage. Doing so would both offset the cost of restoring abandoned mine areas, as well as decrease steel manufacturers’ current waste footprint.</p>
<a href="/media/images/lead-queen-mine-tunnel-precipitate"></a>Orange, iron-rich precipitate (ochre) from outflow of Lead Queen mine tunnel, after late September 2014 monsoon storm. Photo by <a data-cke-saved-href="https://www.facebook.com/goochgoodwin" href="https://www.facebook.com/goochgoodwin">Glen E. "Gooch" Goodwin</a>, Photographer - used with permission.<br />(Copyright Glen E. "Gooch" Goodwin, Used with Permission)
<p>Too Much of a Good Thing</p>
<p>Another issue that slag can address in the Chicago-Gary area is too much phosphate in the water. Phosphate is an important nutrient for plants and is a key ingredient in most fertilizers. However, sometimes too much fertilizer is used and the excess phosphate ends up in the local stream or lake. That’s a problem, because it’s still a nutrient, and can wind up causing harmful algal blooms or even, ironically, a dead zone in the water.</p>
<p>So how can slag help? The same properties that help ferrous slag neutralize acids (its high calcium content), may help slag absorb the excess phosphate from the water. With excess phosphate in water being a significant issue in the Chicago-Gary area, this benefit from slag could be another use for the material and could decrease the need to mine new natural materials for water treatment applications.</p>
<p>Start with Science</p>
<p>USGS minerals research helps policymakers and resource managers understand not just the size and locations of our mineral resources, but how to sustainably develop them and alternative uses for them. Learn more about this project <a href="https://minerals.usgs.gov/science/lakesuperior/index.html#overview">here</a>.</p>
<span class="date-display-single">June 29, 2017</span>apdemas@usgs.gov6203c13f-9f4b-4316-8605-b3429233fc0dBringing Science to Bear at the Cinnabar Minehttps://www.usgs.gov/news/bringing-science-bear-cinnabar-mine
<a href="https://assets.usgs.gov/video/downloads/wtbi-holloway.mp4">Download this video</a>JoAnn Holloway, biogeochemist with the USGS Mineral Resources Program, explains how interdisciplinary science can help better inform the conditions of a complex ecosystem. Videographer: <a data-cke-saved-href="mailto:jmassey@usgs.gov" href="mailto:jmassey@usgs.gov">Jacob Massey</a>, USGS (Public domain.)
<p>Mining activity in the 19th to 20th century was one of the drivers of western expansion in the United States. However, as those mines played out and miners moved on, the mines themselves remained. In fact, the Bureau of Land Management estimates up to <a href="http://www.abandonedmines.gov/">a half-million abandoned mine lands</a> exist in the United States. Of these, the Government Accountability Office <a href="https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/GAOREPORTS-GAO-08-574T/html/GAOREPORTS-GAO-08-574T.htm">estimates 131,000</a> are abandoned hardrock, or base metal (e.g., gold, silver, copper) mines in the western United States, with approximately 33,000 sites resulting in the degradation of environmental quality. </p>
<p>Few of these sites have been evaluated to determine potential for continued environmental impacts, or exacerbated environmental impacts resulting from shifting land-use, including urbanization, road construction, or a resurgence in mining. Evaluating environmental impacts of historical mine sites is most effective if conducted using teams of multi-disciplinary scientists, including hydrologists, geologists, geochemists, and ecologists. </p>
<a href="/media/images/tailings-cinnabar-mine-idaho"></a>Mine tailings from the historical Cinnabar mine site in Idaho. (Credit: JoAnn Holloway, USGS. Public domain.)
<p>The East Fork South Fork Salmon River watershed in central Idaho is at the headwaters of the South Fork Salmon River, a spawning area for Chinook salmon, steel head and bull trout, fish that are listed under the Endangered Species Act. Cinnabar Creek, a tributary to this stream, flows through the Cinnabar mine site, an inactive mercury mining site. This site is being evaluated for remediation by the U.S. EPA due to elevated metal concentrations, including mercury and arsenic, associated with mine tailings, sediment and water. </p>
<p>An interdisciplinary team of U.S. Geological Survey scientists are evaluating the Cinnabar mine site and the East Fork South Fork Salmon River watershed to quantify environmental impacts of historical mining. A watershed analysis has been conducted to determine background sites upstream from historical mining areas where geologic inputs to stream and sediment could assessed. Transportation of mercury and arsenic from mine tailings to downstream sediments is evaluated using mineralogical, geochemical and isotope analyses. Mercury transfer from the stream to the biota is being evaluated by ecologists who study insects, spiders and fish.</p>
<a href="/media/images/cinnabar-creek-watershed-idaho"></a>The Cinnabar Creek watershed, at the headwaters of the East Fork South Fork Salmon River in central Idaho. (Credit: JoAnn Holloway, USGS. Public domain.)
<p>This work is being conducted in cooperation with the Nez Perce Tribal Fisheries Resources Program, the U.S.D.A. Payette National Forest, the U.S. EPA, with site access being provided by Midas Gold Corporation. Our data and our interpretations are being used to help inform a better-informed effort towards remediating the Cinnabar Mine site, with the goal of improving the quality of this salmon fishery. </p>
<p>Learn more about this project <a href="https://minerals.usgs.gov/science/yellowpine-trace-metal-mobility/index.html">here</a>, and learn more about other USGS minerals research in the Yellowpine area <a href="https://minerals.usgs.gov/science/yellowpine/index.html">here</a>.</p>
<span class="date-display-single">June 9, 2017</span>apdemas@usgs.gov522a9b3e-1f33-42f9-9355-ffe20c59658aPresident Proposes $922 Million FY18 Budget for USGShttps://www.usgs.gov/news/president-proposes-922-million-fy18-budget-usgs-0
<p>Annual Federal Appropriations Process — Here you will find documents such as Budget Justifications (Greenbook), press releases, funding tables, fact sheets, and more, organized by fiscal year. <a href="https://www.usgs.gov/about/organization/science-support/budget-planning-and-integration">Read the full details</a>.</p>
<span class="date-display-single">May 23, 2017</span>shorvath@usgs.govcc4d9dd0-8846-4018-be72-a6cbd5309e52President Proposes $922 Million FY18 Budget for USGShttps://www.usgs.gov/news/president-proposes-922-million-fy18-budget-usgs
<p>President Donald Trump today proposed a $922.2 million Fiscal Year 2018 (FY18) budget for the U.S. Geological Survey. This highlights the Administration’s commitment to increasing efficiency across the federal government and science supporting national objectives and priorities. The President’s proposed FY18 request reflects a savings of $137.8 million in appropriated funds from the FY 2017 CR baseline and a continued commitment to the bureau’s core mission. </p>
<p>“President Trump promised the American people he would cut wasteful spending and make the government work for the taxpayer again, and that's exactly what this budget does,” said U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke. “Working carefully with the President, we identified areas where we could reduce spending and also areas for investment, such as addressing the maintenance backlog in our National Parks and increasing domestic energy production on federal lands. The budget also allows the Department to return to the traditional principles of multiple-use management to include both responsible natural resource development and conservation of special places. Being from the West, I've seen how years of bloated bureaucracy and D.C.-centric policies hurt our rural communities. The President's budget saves taxpayers by focusing program spending, shrinking bureaucracy, and empowering the front lines." </p>
<p>The request ensures that the USGS will continue to focus on conducting leading-edge research and providing impartial scientific data to key stakeholders and decision-makers to help promote stewardship of public lands and waters and protect the health, safety and prosperity of the Nation. </p>
<p>America First Energy: The USGS budget places strong emphasis on assessing the occurrence, quality, supply and use of energy and critical mineral resources. The FY18 budget request for the <a href="https://www.usgs.gov/science/mission-areas/energy-and-minerals?qt-mission_areas_l2_landing_page_ta=0#qt-mission_areas_l2_landing_page_ta">USGS Energy and Minerals Resources Mission Area</a> is $74.4 million. The agency will continue to assess energy resources and provide publicly available scientific data and tools to inform energy policy discussions as well as to support science-based decisions that facilitate responsible resource management, including oil, gas, coal, geothermal, uranium and gas hydrate energy resource activities. This request will also allow the USGS to focus on understanding the genesis and distribution of the Nation’s critical mineral resources, particularly in Alaska, midcontinent and southeast regions of the United States. </p>
<p>America’s Public Lands: The USGS proposed budget promotes the Department of the Interior’s stewardship for public lands by providing science support for disaster alerts and rapid response, producing high-resolution geospatial data, addressing new and emerging invasive species and disease, tackling water challenges and supporting development for the Landsat 9 satellite ground system. The USGS will also conduct work on environmental impacts of resource extraction and understanding how mineral resources interact with the environment to affect human and ecosystem health. The agency will also continue to develop and apply new methods to forecast, detect and understand health implications of toxins produced by harmful algal blooms. Additionally, the USGS will continue research to understand contaminants and pathogens related to drinking waters.</p>
<p>The President’s FY18 budget request for the <a href="https://www.usgs.gov/science/mission-areas/natural-hazards?qt-mission_areas_l2_landing_page_ta=0#qt-mission_areas_l2_landing_page_ta">Natural Hazards Mission Area</a> is $118.1 million. This provides resources to continue the agency’s natural hazard research, monitoring, response and mitigation capability. With the FY18 budget, the USGS will be able to monitor the Nation's earthquakes via the Advanced National Seismic System and deliver rapid earthquake impact and situational awareness products to support emergency response. The budget also will enable the USGS to continue to conduct field investigations of volcanoes and inform volcano monitoring strategies and volcanic hazard assessments. Additionally, it will enable the USGS to continue to communicate earthquake and volcano information to the public. The FY18 budget also supports science to develop, test and advance tools and methods for landslide monitoring, hazard assessment and forecasting, as well as post-wildfire debris-flow hazard assessments for major wildfires.</p>
<p>The President’s FY18 budget request for the <a href="https://www.usgs.gov/science/mission-areas/core-science-systems?qt-mission_areas_l2_landing_page_ta=0#qt-mission_areas_l2_landing_page_ta">Core Science Systems Mission Area</a> is $93.0 million. With the FY18 proposal, the USGS will continue the 3D Elevation Program with acquisition of high-resolution lidar elevation data across the Nation to support topographic map production, and to help protect infrastructure and natural resources and improve public safety. Mapping accuracy through cutting-edge technology allows for precise planning for energy development, transportation and pipeline infrastructure projects, urban planning, flood prediction, emergency response and hazard mitigation. The USGS will also continue acquisition of high-resolution interferometric synthetic aperture radar elevation data as part of the Alaska Mapping Initiative. The USGS will also develop more efficient means of updating hydrography and producing topographic maps.</p>
<p>The President’s FY18 budget request for the <a href="https://www.usgs.gov/science/mission-areas/ecosystems?qt-mission_areas_l2_landing_page_ta=0#qt-mission_areas_l2_landing_page_ta">Ecosystems Mission Area</a> is $132.1 million to support ecosystem research, health, development and monitoring. The USGS will provide science to support fish and wildlife management, water filtration and pollution control, healthy soils, pollination and reduction of the effects of wildfires and other natural disasters. The budget supports funding for the network of Cooperative Research Units that support communities with resource management science. The USGS will continue to inform long-term conservation and management strategies by providing science on the sage steppe habitat, interactions of rangeland fire and drought management and wildlife and invasive species interactions under stressed conditions. The USGS will also improve detection and control methods for economically and ecologically costly invasive species including Asian carp, invasive mussels, sea lamprey, brown tree snakes and Burmese pythons, and enhance wildlife disease risk assessment, surveillance and management tools.</p>
<p>The President’s FY18 budget request for the <a href="https://www.usgs.gov/science/mission-areas/water?qt-mission_areas_l2_landing_page_ta=0#qt-mission_areas_l2_landing_page_ta">Water Resources Mission Area</a> is $173.0 million. The budget request supports a robust network of more than 8,000 streamgages. It will ensure continued research vital to preserving the Nation’s water resources. With the FY18 budget, the USGS will continue to measure and analyze water use information in cooperation with other Federal agencies, States, localities and Tribes to determine the amount of water used, where it is used and how it is used to support water managers. The USGS will also focus on drought research, including determining the changing importance of snowmelt in the water cycle that can provide a regional and national picture of how water availability and use changes during drought.</p>
<p>The FY18 budget request for the <a href="https://www.usgs.gov/science/mission-areas/climate-and-land-use-change?qt-mission_areas_l2_landing_page_ta=0#qt-mission_areas_l2_landing_page_ta">Land Resources Mission Area</a> (formerly Climate and Land Use) is $112.8 million. The renaming of this mission area reflects its actual problem-solving focus on meeting the practical science needs of land managers. With the FY18 budget, the USGS will continue the Landsat program, including support to develop the Landsat 9 mission ground system in close collaboration with NASA. The USGS will refine the ground system design and procure necessary requirements, as well as implement an initial operating capability to allow users to access the entire Landsat archive.</p>
<p>Additionally, the USGS will compile a continental-scale synthesis of natural patterns of drought to quantify the extent and magnitude of past long-term droughts, as well as their impacts on terrestrial and aquatic communities and other natural resources. These models will allow resource managers to evaluate potential impacts of various land-use and water-management strategies, and improve support of tribal efforts in planning for and adapting to climate change impacts to fish and wildlife resources. </p>
<p>The USGS FY 2018 Budget Justification is available <a href="https://www.usgs.gov/about/organization/science-support/budget-planning-and-integration?qt-science_support_l3_landing_pages=0#qt-science_support_l3_landing_pages">here</a>, and additional details on the President's FY 2018 Budget are available on the <a href="https://www.doi.gov/pressreleases/president-proposes-117-billion-budget-interior-fy2018">Department’s</a> website.</p>
<span class="date-display-single">May 23, 2017</span>drewlapointe@usgs.govf46011f3-374a-435e-a09c-b9c2b8e492f1Magmas to Metalshttps://www.usgs.gov/news/magmas-metals
<p>Here at USGS, one way we’re studying how molten earth cools into mineable ores is by looking at something called <a href="https://minerals.usgs.gov/science/magmas-to-metals/index.html#inclusions">melt inclusions</a>. Although it may sound like a particularly fancy hot sandwich, melt inclusions are actually tiny pockets of magma that get trapped in the crystals of growing igneous rocks.</p>
<p>Traditionally, volcano scientists study melt inclusions because they give us a snapshot of the conditions which drove explosive eruptions. Today, USGS scientists are looking at melt inclusions when studying mineral deposits. Thus, the study of how we get from magma to metal, as the saying goes, is an important one for learning where large mineral deposits might be found.</p>
<a href="/media/images/cathodoluminescence-map-zircon"></a>Here's an image of a zircon grain in an igneous rock called rhyolite. The scan shows a melt inclusion in an inherited core that is about 100 million years older than the age of the host rhyolite, which can show us the conditions of the molten mix that would later give rise to the rhyolite. (Public domain.)
<p>Snapshots in Time</p>
<p>So how do tiny hot pockets of melted rock help us learn about how and where mineral deposits might form? Just like insects getting trapped in amber, these melt inclusions give us a snapshot of what conditions were like when the rock was first forming.</p>
<p>Igneous rocks, which are where many hardrock mineral ores are found, take thousands, even millions of years to form. So when they’re studied, they only show the final product of all those years of development. Melt inclusions, on the other hand, remain mostly unchanged. By giving us an idea of what the original melt composition looked like, melt inclusions help us understand why that particular set of minerals formed as the magma cooled.</p>
<a href="/media/images/cathodoluminescence-map-apatite"></a>Meanwhile this image shows a spectral cathodoluminescence map of apatite grains that host inclusions and intergrowths of the rare-earth element-bearing minerals, monazite and xenotime.(Public domain.)
<p>For instance, the hot mess of molten rock and magma can be thought of as a box of Legos. The box of legos (like the molten mix) contains the different colors and shapes of blocks to build structures (the mineral ores). As we use up legos from the box (melted rock cools and minerals begin to form) there are fewer legos remaining to choose from to build new structures. Similarly, when magma crystallizes underground, elements are removed from the mix to form some minerals, and they are not available to form others.</p>
<p>Melt inclusions can lead us to a better understanding of how and where metals like gold, copper, tin, zinc, and tungsten form.</p>
<a href="/media/images/cathodoluminescence-map-apatite-0"></a>This is another spectral cathodoluminescence map of apatite grains that host inclusions and intergrowths of the rare-earth element-bearing minerals, monazite and xenotime.(Public domain.)
<p>Mining the Magma</p>
<p>The next question is, how do we use the data we get from melt inclusions? Primarily, we use it to help refine our models of what conditions allow mineral deposits to form, particularly metal deposits. One of the most exciting areas of research for using melt inclusions is the study of how porphyritic rocks form.</p>
<p>Porphyritic rocks are a type of igneous rock that typically have large crystals and form when rising magma columns cool in a particular way. Porphyritic rocks are important, because they’re where we often find mineable concentrations of critical metals.</p>
<p>These metals, along with many other mineral commodities, are critical to the Nation’s economy and security, so learning as much as we can about how and where they form is an important goal of the USGS Mineral Resources Program.</p>
<p>Learn more:</p>
<a href="https://minerals.usgs.gov/science/magmas-to-metals/index.html#inclusions">Melt Inclusions Project Page</a>
<a href="https://minerals.cr.usgs.gov/dial/inclusions.html">Denver Inclusions Laboratory</a>
<span class="date-display-single">May 11, 2017</span>apdemas@usgs.gov697efa26-c18f-4166-ab33-8268440414e1Plumbing the Depths of the Great Basinhttps://www.usgs.gov/news/plumbing-depths-great-basin
<p>Today, USGS Mineral Resources Program scientists are continuing that tradition, marrying the latest and greatest of assessment technology with a deep bedrock of geologic understanding and research. Here’s how:</p>
<a href="/media/images/great-basin-magnetic-map"></a>Magnetic potential terrane map of the Great Basin.(Public domain.)
<p>Up in the Air to Look Deep Underground</p>
<p>One way of seeing underground is by <a href="https://www.usgs.gov/news/air-look-deep-underground">flying high overhead</a>. Airborne surveys using tools to measure the magnetic and electrical properties of the rock are a particularly effective method of surveying large areas at a reasonable resolution.</p>
<p>While sometimes these surveys can reveal specific mineral deposits, like rare earths, iron, or nickel, usually the geology is not so clear. Often what USGS scientists are hoping to achieve is to figure out groupings of various mineral types and rock layers. That way, as scientists learn more about how minerals form and group together, the magnetic and electrical readings can help show where likely candidates for producible mineral deposits might be found.</p>
<p>Airborne magnetic surveying is not the only way to acquire this data, naturally. Ground-based magnetic surveys are also conducted.</p>
<a href="/media/images/great-basin-fault-map"></a>The map above shows the location of mapped faults and surficial geology of the central Mojave Desert region in southern California. (Public domain.)
<p>As on Top, So Below</p>
<p>Although the saying goes “Don’t judge a book by its cover,” what’s on the surface can actually say a lot about what lies beneath. At least, that’s what USGS scientists are discovering as they look at the relationship between surface geologic features and subsurface geologic features.</p>
<p>Using geology, geochemistry, topography, and remote sensing, USGS scientists are producing maps of the various faults and fractures that lie beneath the Western Great Basin, linking them with the faults and features on the surface. Features like these help tell the story of how the Great Basin formed, and, in turn, what minerals might have formed in the process.</p>
<a href="/media/images/wheeler-peak-nevada"></a>Wheeler Peak, Nevada. Credit: Donald Sweetkind, USGS. (Public domain.)
<p>The More You Know...</p>
<p>So if all of this potential is deep underground, how can scientists accurately study it? By using models. All of the data that has been mentioned so far goes into complex but useful geologic models of the rock layers, rock types, and other features of the Great Basin.</p>
<p>Because of this, the more data that’s fed into a model, the more accurate (and useful) the model becomes. USGS scientists have been making sure that all available geology, as well as something called reverse remanent magnetism are incorporated into the geologic models.</p>
<p>Reverse remanent magnetism refers to the magnetization in rocks that formed when the magnetic field was reversed from what it is today. About half of all rocks at the Earth’s surface are formed with a remanent magnetic field reversed from the current Earth’s magnetic field and that can dramatically affect geophysical modeling.</p>
<p>This especially applies in the Great Basin, which contains large amounts of volcanic rocks high in feldspar and quartz from the Cenozoic period. USGS scientists can determine an approximate orientation of the remanent magnetic field using a magnetometer and oriented field samples.</p>
<p>Start with Science</p>
<p>All of this research will come together to give USGS scientists, as well as land and resource managers, as much information as possible about the potential mineral wealth of the Western Great Basin. As resource needs grow and minerals become ever more critical to the Nation’s security and economy, USGS minerals scientists will help ensure the Nation’s decision-makers have the best data available to them.</p>
<p>More Information:</p>
<p><a href="https://minerals.usgs.gov/science/great-basin-metallogeny/index.html">Great Basin Metallogeny and Regional Structure: New Interpretations of Magnetic and Gravity Data</a> (project website)</p>
<p><a href="https://mrdata.usgs.gov/airborne/">Geophysical products from MRDATA</a></p>
<p><a href="https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2004/1008/">Geophysical Terrane of the Great Basin and parts of the surrounding provinces</a></p>
<p><a href="https://minerals.usgs.gov/science/walkerlane/index.html">Magmatic-Tectonic History and Component Sources of Major Precious Metal Deposits in the Southern Walker Lane</a> (project website)</p>
<p><a href="https://pubs.er.usgs.gov/publication/ds41">Great Basin geoscience database</a></p>
<p><a href="https://pubs.er.usgs.gov/publication/gp1012">Glen et al terranes map</a></p>
<p><a href="http://pubs.nbmg.unr.edu/Analysis-NV-s-metal-txt-13-pl-p/of1996-02.htm">Nevada Mineral resource assessment</a></p>
<a href="https://pubs.er.usgs.gov/publication/gp1012">Saltus and Jachens basement depth map</a>
<span class="date-display-single">May 3, 2017</span>apdemas@usgs.govc4fce462-a847-4656-ad59-c2dd4d4434c7Bon Anniversaire, Louisiane!https://www.usgs.gov/news/bon-anniversaire-louisiane
<a href="/media/images/geologic-map-louisiana"></a>A geologic map of the birthday state!<br />(Public domain.)
<p>On this day, in 1812, Louisiana entered the Union as the first new state from the Louisiana Purchase. To honor the Bayou state’s birthday, we thought we’d highlight Louisiana’s nonfuel mineral contributions.</p>
<p>Louisiana ranks 34th in nonfuel mineral production value in the 50 United States, with its mineral industry worth about $530 million in 2016. USGS monitors the mineral industry of Louisiana and all 50 states, reporting annually in its <a href="https://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/pubs/mcs/">Mineral Commodity Summaries</a>.</p>
<p>Louisiana’s primary mineral commodities are, in order of value, <a href="https://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/pubs/commodity/salt/">salt</a>, <a href="https://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/pubs/commodity/stone_crushed/">crushed stone</a>, <a href="https://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/pubs/commodity/sand_&amp;_gravel_construction/">sand and gravel</a>, and <a href="https://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/pubs/commodity/lime/">lime</a>. Much of these construction materials come from the sediments brought by Louisiana’s mighty rivers that gradually built the broad coastal plains, swamps and marshes.</p>
<span class="date-display-single">April 30, 2017</span>apdemas@usgs.gov9a36c992-1e37-4ee4-a703-44f0d21d4577Happy 229th Birthday, Maryland!https://www.usgs.gov/news/happy-229th-birthday-maryland
<a href="/media/images/geologic-map-maryland"></a>A geologic map of the birthday state! <br />(Public domain.)
<p>On this day, in 1788, Maryland entered the Union as one of the 13 original states. To honor Maryland’s birthday, we thought we’d highlight Maryland’s mineral contributions.</p>
<p>Maryland ranks 35th in mineral production value in the 50 United States, with its mineral industry worth about $310 million in 2016. USGS monitors the mineral industry of Maryland and all 50 states, reporting annually in its <a href="https://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/pubs/mcs/">Mineral Commodity Summaries</a>.</p>
<p>Maryland’s primary mineral commodities are, in order of value, <a href="https://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/pubs/commodity/cement/">portland cement</a>, <a href="https://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/pubs/commodity/stone_crushed/">crushed stone</a>, construction <a href="https://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/pubs/commodity/sand_&amp;_gravel_construction/">sand and gravel</a>, <a href="https://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/pubs/commodity/cement/">masonry cement</a>, and <a href="https://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/pubs/commodity/stone_dimension/">dimension stone</a>. Much of the sand and gravel come from the sediments that gradually built Maryland’s broad coastal plains.</p>
<p>The <a href="http://www.mgs.md.gov/geology/">Maryland Geological Survey</a> divides the state into five broad provinces: the Applachian Plateaus of the western panhandle, the Ridge and Valley along the I-68 corridor, the Blue Ridge where Camp David lies, the hard stones of the Piedmont, and finally the Atlantic Coastal Plain. They’ve even <a href="http://www.mgs.md.gov/geology/minerals_energy_resources/gold.html">got a map</a> of where people have found gold in the state!</p>
<p>So happy birthday, Maryland-you rock!</p>
<a href="/media/images/geologic-map-maryland"></a>A geologic map of the birthday state! <br />(Public domain.)
<span class="date-display-single">April 28, 2017</span>apdemas@usgs.gov53c7702a-9959-4994-a147-c6fa2c94244dEarthWord–Placerhttps://www.usgs.gov/news/earthword-placer
<p>EarthWords is an on-going series in which we shed some light on the complicated, often difficult-to-pronounce language of science. Think of us as your terminology tour-guides, and meet us back here every week for a new word!</p>
<a href="/media/images/gold-pans-and-placer-gold"></a>Gold Pans and Placer Gold - image by California Geological Survey.
<p>The EarthWord: Placer</p>
<p>Definition:</p>
<p>If you’re panning for gold, you’ve come to the right place-r, that is! Placers are a type of mineral deposit in which grains of a valuable mineral like gold or the rare earths are mixed with sand deposited by a river or glacier.</p>
<p>Placer is also a mining method term. Placer mining uses water and gravity to separate gold from surrounding material.</p>
<p>Etymology:</p>
<p>Placer is an Americanization of the Catalan word placel, which itself came from the Spanish word plaza, meaning “<a href="http://www.dictionary.com/browse/placer">open space</a>.”</p>
<p>Use/Significance in the Earth Science Community:</p>
<p>Placer deposits containing gold are areas that have highly concentrated accumulations due to stream/river erosional processes taking place around/over geologic terranes that contain gold, over a very long period of time.</p>
<p>Placer deposits are an important source of many valuable minerals, particularly gold and rare earth elements. They occur throughout the world.</p>
<p>USGS Use:</p>
<p>USGS studies placer deposits as part of its Mineral Resources Program. From the 1890s Alaska Gold Rush (<a href="https://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/1998/0058/report.pdf">where 72% of the gold found came from placers</a>) to modern-day rare earth deposits (<a href="https://pubs.usgs.gov/sir/2010/5220/">of which quite a few are in placer deposits</a>), USGS has placed an emphasis on studying these rich formations.</p>
<p>Next EarthWord: </p>
<p>Hungry for some science, but you don’t have time for a full-course research plate? Then check out <a href="https://www.usgs.gov/news/science-snippets">USGS Science Snippets</a>, our snack-sized science series that focuses on the fun, weird, and fascinating stories of USGS science.</p>
<span class="date-display-single">April 25, 2017</span>apdemas@usgs.gov5ea44273-f2d7-4028-9631-2d530d126026USGS Spectral Library gets Ultra- and Hyper- Revamphttps://www.usgs.gov/news/usgs-spectral-library-gets-ultra-and-hyper-revamp
<a href="/media/images/spectral-signature-topaz"></a>This shows the spectral signature (left) of the mineral topaz (right).(Public domain.)
<p>What do rare earth elements, Deepwater Horizon oil spill residue, artisanal paint powders, and coastal vegetation have in common? They’re all part of the newly updated and enhanced <a href="https://pubs.er.usgs.gov/publication/ds1035">USGS Spectral Library</a>.</p>
<p>Spectroscopy is a tool that detects the absorption or emission of light by a material as a function of wavelength. Think of it like a light-based fingerprint for various materials. Each material has a spectral signature that is unique to its chemical structure.</p>
<p>“By expanding the number of spectral signatures, the USGS Spectral Library improves the ability of scientists to locate mineral resources, helping them to make new findings not previously possible,” said USGS geophysicist Raymond Kokaly.</p>
<a href="/media/images/spectral-signature-plywood"></a>This shows the spectral signature (left) of plywood (right).(Public domain.)
<p>The USGS Spectral Library is a reference database containing thousands of these fingerprints, which are also known as reflectance spectra. As scientists study materials using spectroscopy, they can compare their measurements to spectra on file within the library to identify minerals, study the composition of soil for farming or other activities, detect oil or other substances in the environment, quantify the chemistry of plants and microorganisms, examine the authenticity of artwork, or even conduct planetary exploration.</p>
<p>This new version of the library expands an important resource used to analyze imaging spectrometer data, also known as hyperspectral remote sensing or imaging spectroscopy, for many applications, including:</p>
mapping the distributions of minerals and vegetation on the landscape
defining mineral deposits and associated ore forming processes
delimiting surface expressions of geologic structures, such as fault zones
mitigating hazards from environmental contaminants
<p>The library includes samples of minerals, rocks, physically constructed as well as mathematically computed mineral mixtures, plants, vegetation communities, microorganisms, and man-made materials.</p>
<a href="/media/images/alaska-hyperspectral-mountain"></a>Regional mineral classification map overlaying a digital elevation model of the Orange Hill area, Wrangell–St. Elias National Park and Preserve, Alaska. Colors represent the spectrally dominant minerals. Data collected at 6-meter spatial resolution.(Public domain.)
<p>The update adds higher resolution spectra and measurements of new materials:</p>
minerals bearing rare earth elements
mixed vegetation plots in the coastal wetlands of Louisiana and mountain chaparral of California
grain size fractions of mineral samples
oil emulsions, residues and oil-contaminated marsh plants from large scale oil spills
vermiculite from the four main historical sources (Louisa, Virginia; Enoree, South Carolina; Libby, Montana; and Palabora, South Africa)
a new collection of powdered paint pigments spanning the range of classical artisanal colors is also included
<p>Last but not least, the USGS Spectral Library is continuing to expand, by going ultraviolet. Critical minerals such as rare earths are being scanned in the ultraviolet wavelengths. This will broaden the number of known spectral signatures for these important materials in future releases.</p>
<p>Nonfuel mineral resources helped create an estimated $2.8 trillion in value added products in 2016, which contributed 15 percent to the total U.S. Gross Domestic Product.</p>
<p>Many of the minerals critical to the U.S. economy are not as well-understood, requiring more research to understand how they form, where they occur, and how they can be produced. The USGS meets these challenges by employing cutting-edge research tools like these spectral signatures.</p>
<p>For more information on mineral-resource science, please visit the <a href="http://minerals.usgs.gov">USGS Mineral Resources Program</a>. To keep up to date on USGS mineral research, <a href="https://twitter.com/usgsminerals">follow us on Twitter</a>.</p>
<span class="date-display-single">April 20, 2017</span>apdemas@usgs.gova6827934-6590-44da-b57b-b54727a47fd1EarthWord–Ferroushttps://www.usgs.gov/news/earthword-ferrous
<p>EarthWords is an on-going series in which we shed some light on the complicated, often difficult-to-pronounce language of science. Think of us as your terminology tour-guides, and meet us back here every week for a new word!</p>
<a href="/media/images/piece-limonite-ore-iron"></a>A piece of limonite, an ore of iron. Credit: Alex Demas, USGS.<br />(Public domain.)
<p>The EarthWord: Ferrous</p>
<p>Definition:</p>
<p>Sadly this is not the same as a Ferris wheel. This ferrous refers to the presence of iron in a mineral. A ferrous mineral has iron, a non-ferrous one does not.</p>
<p>Etymology:</p>
<p>Ferrous comes to us from the Latin ferrum, which means “<a href="http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=ferrous">iron</a>.” That’s also where the Atomic symbol for iron, Fe, comes from.</p>
<p>Use/Significance in the Earth Science Community:</p>
<p>The study of ferrous minerals is important for a couple of reasons. The first is that iron and its related metals are very important to the world’s economy. In fact, iron and steel comprise about <a href="https://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/pubs/commodity/iron_&amp;_steel/">95 percent</a> of all the tonnage of metal produced annually in the United States and the world.</p>
<p>Another main reason why studying ferrous minerals is important is that many useful mineral occur alongside the ferrous ones. That means that when you mine the iron, you can also get the other minerals, a process known as co-production. In many cases, that’s how minerals that would not be worth enough to mine on their own can be produced profitably.</p>
<p>Finally, ferrous minerals can have different environmental effects when mined. The ferrous mineral pyrite can create <a href="https://www.americangeosciences.org/critical-issues/faq/how-can-metal-mining-impact-environment">acid mine drainage</a> when exposed to oxygen and water. Acid mine drainage can have a number of negative environmental effects.</p>
<p>USGS Use:</p>
<p>USGS studies <a href="https://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/pubs/commodity/iron_&amp;_steel/">iron and other ferrous minerals</a> both in the United States and throughout the world. In addition, USGS tracks the recycling of <a href="https://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/pubs/commodity/iron_&amp;_steel_scrap/">iron and steel scrap</a>, and the nonmetallic byproducts of iron and steel manufacturing called <a href="https://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/pubs/commodity/iron_&amp;_steel_slag/">slag</a>.</p>
<p>USGS studies <a href="https://mine-drainage.usgs.gov/">acid mine drainage</a> and other environmental effects of mining throughout the United States.</p>
<p>Next EarthWord: Whether you pan for gold or rare earths, you’ll get a lot of sand...and this EarthWord!</p>
<p>Hungry for some science, but you don’t have time for a full-course research plate? Then check out <a href="https://www.usgs.gov/news/science-snippets">USGS Science Snippets</a>, our snack-sized science series that focuses on the fun, weird, and fascinating stories of USGS science.</p>
<span class="date-display-single">April 18, 2017</span>apdemas@usgs.gov6e1fddbd-c9ba-48de-a290-39950f6b9a50Mineral Discovery Could Mean Billions for Michiganhttps://www.usgs.gov/news/mineral-discovery-could-mean-billions-michigan
<a href="/media/images/mineral-discovery-could-mean-billions-michigan"></a>
<a href="/media/images/deposit-estimated-be-worth-65-billion"></a>
<p>Potash is produced in only 13 countries, making it one of the most tightly controlled commodities in the world. </p>
<p>The deposit is estimated to be worth $65 billion, which could make it a major source of revenue for the State of Michigan.<br />“If we didn’t have the data preservation program, no one would have known the deposits were here,” said John Yellich, a geologist and the director of the Michigan Geological Survey. </p>
<p>The program Yellich references is the National Geological and Geophysical Data Preservation Program (NGGDPP). Enacted by Congress in 2005, the program was created to promote the archiving and cataloging of geological samples and data in the United States, most of which were acquired during oil, gas, and mineral exploration. Preservation of these materials and data promotes further research and the discovery of valuable resources. </p>
<a href="/media/images/value-preservation"></a>
<a href="/media/images/potash-core-sample"></a>William Harrison of Western Michigan University holds a potash core sample. Photograph credit: Mike Lanka, Western Michigan University(Public domain.)
<p>Run by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the program provides funds to State geological agencies to help them preserve and inventory their geological samples and data. This includes digitally cataloging and describing these data and materials into the National Digital Catalog, a centralized database managed by the NGGDPP that is accessible to the public. </p>
<p>“Basically, the database reveals to geologists, researchers, and government agencies where natural resources such as minerals, oil, gas, and fossils could be located,” said Natalie Latysh, associate program coordinator for the USGS’s NGGDPP. </p>
<p>“Not everyone has $4 million dollars to drill a well to determine what is in the ground,” she said. “Instead, the database can be used to inform users of previous work, including the existence and location of important resources.” </p>
<p>In 2008, Dr. William Harrison, a professor and the director of Western Michigan University’s Michigan Geological Repository for Research and Education (MGRRE), received a call from a potash mining company in Hersey, Michigan, offering to donate rock cores of potash extracted during the 1980s. </p>
<p>The company was preparing to shut-down and could no longer store the 4,000 boxes of core samples. MGRRE houses a comprehensive collection of Michigan’s rock cores and samples and maintains extensive online databases.</p>
<p>Funding from the USGS’s NGGDDP enabled MGRRE to acquire the potash cores and begin compiling the data and logging them into the National Digital Catalog. Annually, NGGDPP funds are awarded to States for proposed preservation projects, like this one, through a competitive grant process.</p>
<p>“USGS’s funding was the impetus for making [those] data available so that the industry could become aware of the potash deposit,” Yellich said.</p>
<a href="/media/images/alerting-mining-companies-and-investors"></a>
<p>Access to the national catalog alerted mining companies and investors about the collection of samples. </p>
<p>One company in particular, Michigan Potash, teamed up with MGRRE in 2013 to analyze the cores and confirm, through chemical tests, the amount of potassium contained in the potash samples. Analysis revealed the richest grade of potash ever produced globally, even richer than deposits produced in Canada and Russia. </p>
<p>“Because of the core samples, we were able to get a geological picture of what was down beneath the surface,” Yellich said. </p>
<p>The mineral deposit composes the Borgen Bed, which lies under 14,500 acres in Mecosta and Osceola Counties in western Michigan. Michigan Potash is working on breaking ground in 2017 on a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility. </p>
<p>“This discovery benefits agriculture, resource development, and the economy in Michigan and beyond, which would have been much more difficult to realize, if at all, were it not for the NGGDPP,” Yellich said.</p>
<a href="/media/images/potash-0"></a>Potash contains a key plant nutrient, which makes it an important resource for the production of agricultural fertilizer. Photograph credit: Pk Cascio, USGS(Public domain.)
<a href="/media/images/more-information-22"></a>
<p>For more information, contact Kevin Gallagher, USGS Associate Director for Core Science Systems, at <a href="https://mail.google.com/mail/?view=cm&amp;fs=1&amp;tf=1&amp;to=kgallagher@usgs.gov" target="_blank">kgallagher@usgs.gov</a>.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.usgs.gov/science-stories">Read more stories</a> about USGS science in action.</p>
<p><a href="https://prd-wret.s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/assets/palladium/production/s3fs-public/atoms/files/Transition_Story_Potash_FINAL4WEB_508compliant%20%281%29.pdf" title="Click here for the print version.">Click here for the print version.</a></p>
<span class="date-display-single">April 17, 2017</span>apdemas@usgs.gov4cfe899f-777c-426b-865e-280232338e4dThe Top 5 Mineral-Producing States https://www.usgs.gov/news/top-5-mineral-producing-states
<a href="/media/images/2016-value-nonfuel-minerals-state"></a>The value of the nonfuel mineral industry in each of the 50 states for 2016. (Public domain.)
<p>Every year, the <a href="https://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/">USGS National Minerals Information Center</a> releases its <a href="https://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/pubs/mcs/">Mineral Commodity Summaries</a>, a resource roundup of 90 different mineral commodities that includes a snapshot of the global industry, worldwide reserves and production, and information on how these minerals are used.</p>
<p>Also included is an analysis of the domestic mineral industry of the United States, along with summaries of state mineral production. So today, we thought we would share the <a href="https://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/pubs/mcs/2017/mcs2017.pdf">top five mineral-producing states</a> by value from 2016.</p>
<a href="/media/images/minnesota-banded-iron"></a>A banded iron formation in the Precambrian of Minnesota. Image by James St. John - Jaspilite banded iron formation (Soudan Iron-Formation, Neoarchean, ~2.69 Ga; Stuntz Bay Road outcrop, Soudan Underground State Park, Soudan, Minnesota, USA) 16, CC BY 2.0, <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=41615999">https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=41615999</a>(Public domain.)
<p>Number 5: Minnesota</p>
<p>First up is the Land of 10,000 Lakes at number five. Minnesota slipped a place this year, falling from fourth overall in 2015. Iron ore is the primary mineral commodity by value in Minnesota, which leads the country in iron ore production.</p>
Mineral Industry Value: $3.27 billion
Percent of U.S. Total Value: 4.38
Principal minerals in order of value: <a href="https://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/pubs/commodity/iron_ore/">Iron ore</a>, <a href="https://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/pubs/commodity/sand_&amp;_gravel_construction/">sand and gravel (construction), sand and gravel (industrial)</a>, <a href="https://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/pubs/commodity/stone_crushed/">stone (crushed)</a>, <a href="https://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/pubs/commodity/stone_dimension/">stone (dimension)</a>.
<a href="/media/images/rio-tinto-borax-mine-pit"></a>The Rio Tinto Borax Mine pit in California, a significant source of the mineral form of boron. Image by Marcin Wichary - Flickr: [1], CC BY 2.0, <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=23193363">https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=23193363</a><br />(Public domain.)
<p>Number 4: California</p>
<p>California ranks number 4 overall, up two places from 2015. California’s unique contribution in the minerals world is <a href="https://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/pubs/commodity/boron/mcs-2017-boron.pdf">boron</a>, for which it is the only producing state in the United States. Considering that the United States and Turkey lead the world in boron production, California’s contribution is significant. Boron’s primary use, at least domestically, is in glass and ceramics, where it helps the glass or ceramic survive intense heat. For this reason it’s used a lot in glassware for baking and laboratory use.</p>
Mineral Industry Value: $3.52 billion
Percent of U.S. Total Value: 4.71
Principal minerals in order of value: <a href="https://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/pubs/commodity/sand_&amp;_gravel_construction/">Sand and gravel (construction)</a>, <a href="https://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/pubs/commodity/cement/">cement (portland)</a>, <a href="https://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/pubs/commodity/boron/mcs-2017-boron.pdf">boron minerals</a>, <a href="http://v">stone (crushed)</a>, <a href="https://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/pubs/commodity/soda_ash/">soda ash</a>.
<a href="/media/images/barre-granite"></a>Granite is an igneous rock that is frequently used as a crushed stone building material. Credit: Alex Demas, USGS (Public domain.)
<p>Number 3: Texas</p>
<p>Maintaining its place as the bronze medal winner of mineral production value is the Lone Star State. The vast majority of Texas’ mineral industry goes toward the construction of buildings, such as homes and offices. As one of the states with <a href="https://www.census.gov/data/tables/2016/demo/popest/state-total.html">a high population growth</a> over the past few years, Texas has kept pace by building new accommodations for its growing number of people.</p>
Mineral Industry Value: $4.84 billion
Percent of U.S. Total Value: 6.48
Principal minerals in order of value: <a href="https://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/pubs/commodity/stone_crushed/">Stone (crushed)</a>, <a href="https://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/pubs/commodity/cement/">cement (portland)</a>, <a href="https://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/pubs/commodity/sand_&amp;_gravel_construction/">sand and gravel (construction)</a>, <a href="https://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/pubs/commodity/sand_&amp;_gravel_construction/">sand and gravel (industrial)</a>, <a href="https://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/pubs/commodity/salt/">salt</a>.
<a href="/media/images/copper-1"></a>A sample of native copper. Photograph credit: USGS (Public domain.)
<p>Number 2: Arizona</p>
<p>Also holding its 2015 rank is Arizona, which takes the silver medal for mineral production value. Arizona leads the country in copper production and is one of the <a href="https://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/pubs/commodity/molybdenum/mcs-2017-molyb.pdf">primary sources of molybdenum</a> as well. In fact, Arizona’s molybdenum wealth is largely related to its copper wealth, as the molybdenum is recovered as a byproduct of the copper mining.</p>
Mineral Industry Value: $5.56 billion
Percent of U.S. Total Value: 7.45
Principal minerals in order of value: <a href="https://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/pubs/commodity/copper/">Copper</a>, <a href="https://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/pubs/commodity/sand_&amp;_gravel_construction/">sand and gravel (construction)</a>, <a href="https://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/pubs/commodity/molybdenum/">molybdenum concentrates</a>, <a href="https://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/pubs/commodity/cement/">cement (portland)</a>, <a href="https://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/pubs/commodity/stone_crushed/">stone (crushed)</a>.
<a href="/media/images/native-gold"></a>A sample of native gold. Sample provided by Carlin Green, USGS. (Credit: Carlin Green, USGS. Public domain.)
<p>Number 1: Nevada</p>
<p>And last, but certainly not least, the Silver State takes the gold medal for mineral production value in 2016, just as it did in 2015. Much of the value of Nevada’s mineral industry comes from its precious metal production, as it leads the Nation in gold mining. Much of the silver comes from the same mining operation as the gold, as does some of Nevada’s copper.</p>
Mineral Industry Value: $7.65 billion
Percent of U.S. Total Value: 10.26
Principal minerals in order of value: <a href="https://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/pubs/commodity/gold/">Gold</a>, <a href="https://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/pubs/commodity/copper/">copper</a>, <a href="https://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/pubs/commodity/sand_&amp;_gravel_construction/">sand and gravel (construction)</a>, <a href="https://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/pubs/commodity/stone_crushed/">stone (crushed)</a>, <a href="https://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/pubs/commodity/silver/">silver</a>.
<p>So there are the top five states for mineral production value for 2016! Check back next year to see who ranked in the top five for 2017. It’s likely that you’ll see familiar faces...but every now and again, there will be a surprise...</p>
<span class="date-display-single">April 14, 2017</span>apdemas@usgs.gov56c5670e-2f01-4925-b11f-24fcbdb89ec6Up in the Air to Look Deep Undergroundhttps://www.usgs.gov/news/air-look-deep-underground
<a href="/media/images/vtem-plus-aem"></a>Image of the VTEM Plus AEM system from Geotech Ltd. in flight. A similar system will be flown during the upcoming USGS AEM study.<br />(Public domain.)
<p>Yes, 10,000 feet in the air might not be where you’d expect to find underground mineral research being done, but believe it or not, this is an important part of figuring out where mineral deposits might be found.</p>
<p>When we’re up there, we’re looking for all kinds of things that help us determine what kinds of minerals might exist in an area. One thing we often measure for is the magnetic properties of the rock layers we fly over.</p>
<p>You’ve probably heard that some metals are magnetic, like iron or nickel. But another, very valuable set of minerals can be found by looking for magnetism: rare-earth elements. Most of our modern electronics depend on rare-earth elements, and the United States imports 100% of the amount we use each year, so finding where they might be in the United States is an important goal of ours. We’ve conducted these flights over the <a href="https://www.usgs.gov/news/media-advisory-second-round-usgs-studies-begin-define-what-minerals-lie-beneath-portions-upper">Upper Midwest</a>, <a href="https://www.usgs.gov/news/media-advisory-low-level-flights-begin-assessing-local-mineral-resources-monday">Iowa</a>, <a href="https://www.usgs.gov/news/low-level-flights-southeast-missouri-will-look-geology-and-mineral-resources">Missouri </a>and even <a href="https://www.usgs.gov/news/low-flying-airplane-mapping-geology-and-mineral-resources-over-eastern-adirondacks">Upstate New York</a>.</p>
<a href="/media/images/goldak-airborne-survey-plane"></a>The airplane that will be doing overflights in Essex and Clinton Counties, flying a grid pattern at low altitude for a few weeks in December. <br />(Public domain.)
<p>Another tool we use to study the mineral potential of the country is <a href="https://on.doi.gov/2o8g732">hyperspectral imaging</a>. Basically, we use lasers to create a map of different signatures, and then compare them to the signatures for certain rock types that contain valuable minerals. The primary places USGS has used hyperspectral imaging to study minerals are <a href="https://www.usgs.gov/news/hyperspectral-surveying-tool-assessing-mineral-potential-alaska">Alaska </a>and <a href="https://archive.usgs.gov/archive/sites/www.usgs.gov/newsroom/article.asp-ID=3280.html">Afghanistan</a>.</p>
<p>So if you look up one day and see a small plane flying back and forth along a grid, or see a helicopter dragging a couple of hula hoops around, check your local paper to see if it’s us seeing what kind of minerals might be in your backyard!</p>
<span class="date-display-single">April 13, 2017</span>apdemas@usgs.gov28260091-628c-4aea-99c5-56a3c991bdb7Risk and Reliance: The U.S. Economy and Mineral Resourceshttps://www.usgs.gov/news/risk-and-reliance-us-economy-and-mineral-resources
<p>It’s 1954. Elvis Presley has released his first single; Ellis Island has closed; the first nuclear powered-submarine, the USS Nautilus, has launched; the first transistor radio has debuted; and the United States is fully reliant on foreign sources for only 8 mineral commodities.</p>
<p>Now, in 2016, the United States is fully reliant on foreign sources for 20 mineral commodities, including rare earth elements, manganese, and niobium. That is a 250 percent increase in 60 years, according to the <a href="https://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/pubs/mcs/">2017 USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries</a>.</p>
<a href="/media/images/2016-us-net-import-reliance"></a>This chart shows several mineral commodities used by the United States, the percentage of each commodity that comes from foreign sources, and the major countries that supply that mineral to the United States. (Public domain.)
<p>What is Net Import Reliance</p>
<p><a href="https://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/2015/3082/fs20153082.pdf">Net import reliance</a> refers to the percentage of a mineral commodity used by the United States that must be imported from another country. In 2016, the United States was 100 percent dependent on foreign sources for 20 of the 90 mineral commodities that USGS tracks.</p>
<p>Typically, the United States imports its mineral commodities from a wide variety of countries, and in no case is the United States fully reliant on a single country for a mineral resource. That being said, there are a few countries that the United States relies on for mineral commodities more than most.</p>
<p>China is the single largest source of mineral commodities for the United States, particularly for resources like<a href="https://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/pubs/commodity/rare_earths/"> rare earth elements</a>,<a href="https://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/pubs/commodity/germanium/"> germanium</a>, and<a href="https://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/pubs/commodity/diamond/"> industrial diamonds</a>. In fact, of the 47 mineral commodities that the United States is more than 50 percent reliant on foreign sources, 24 came in part from China.</p>
<p>After China, the<a href="https://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/2015/3082/fs20153082.pdf"> next largest source</a> of mineral commodities to the United States is Canada, which provides the United States with 16 different mineral commodities, with Mexico, Russia, and South Africa the next leading sources, each providing U.S. imports of 8 different nonfuel mineral commodities.</p>
<a href="/media/images/major-import-sources-nonfuel-mineral-commodities-us"></a>This map shows the countries that supply mineral commodities for which the United States was more than 50 percent reliant on imports for its consumption in 2016. (Public domain.)
<p>How Import Reliance Happens</p>
<p>One of the primary reasons the United States has become more reliant on foreign sources for mineral commodities is the large increase in mineral commodities used by the United States, both in type and quantity. For instance, a<a href="https://www.nap.edu/catalog/12034/minerals-critical-minerals-and-the-us-economy"> National Research Council report</a> showed that computers went from using just 12 elements in the 1980s to as many as 60 by 2006.</p>
<p>Many of these minerals are not distributed evenly across the globe, and some countries have larger reserves than others. Chile, for instance, has more than twice the<a href="https://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/pubs/commodity/copper/"> copper reserves</a> of the country with the next largest (Australia), and provided the United States with 50 percent of its copper imports in 2016.</p>
<p>Another primary reason the United States has become more reliant on foreign sources for mineral commodities is the relative cost of production for the minerals. Policy decisions in the United States and other countries, as well as relative concentrations of mineral resources, affect the comparative cost of mineral production.</p>
<a href="/media/images/bastnaesite-reddish-parts-carbonatite"></a>This mineral is Bastnaesite (the reddish parts) in Carbonatite, a primary source of rare-earth elements (REE). REEs are used to make strong magnets for smartphone speakers, microphones, vibration motors, smartphone screens, as well as many other high-tech applications. The United States is currently 100% reliant on foreign sources of REEs and demand is satisfied by imports, primarily from China. In recent years, Chinese production has accounted for about 95 percent of the REE global market. (Credit: Scott Horvath, USGS. Public domain.)
<p>Why Net Import Reliance Matters</p>
<p>The overall net import reliance of the United States for mineral commodities is important, because it affects the risk of the supply of these minerals for the U.S. economy and national security. The path by which these minerals reach the United States ranges from production and extraction, through refining, to shipping and transport. An interruption at any of those points can affect the supply.</p>
<p>Some minerals that the United States depends on are produced in, or must pass through, areas that have political stability issues. In addition, some minerals that the United States relies on are produced in areas that have historically opposed the United States in other political arenas.</p>
<p>In addition, some minerals are not produced or used in large supplies, so an interruption in the flow of that mineral, no matter how small, can have an immediate effect. Natural disasters can also affect the global supply of minerals. The<a href="https://archive.usgs.gov/archive/sites/www.usgs.gov/newsroom/article.asp-ID=2738.html"> 2011 Northern Honshu, Japan, earthquake</a>, for instance, briefly affected one quarter of the world’s iodine supply, which is used, among other things, to create LCD screens.</p>
<a href="/media/images/stibnite"></a>Stibnite is the predominant ore mineral of antimony. Antimony compounds are used in many ways, like helping prevent skin burns, increasing battery life, and refining glass used for cellphones. ​​​​​​​A surprising 83% of antimony consumed stateside is imported—mostly from China—leaving the US susceptible to supply disruption.(Credit: Scott Horvath, USGS. Public domain.)
<p>How USGS Helps</p>
<p>The USGS collects, analyzes, and disseminates information on a monthly, quarterly, or annual basis for more than <a href="https://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/pubs/commodity/">90 nonfuel mineral commodities</a> from more than <a href="https://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/pubs/country/">180 countries</a>. The USGS then calculates the net import reliance for these commodities using prior-year data and publishes this information annually in the <a href="https://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/pubs/mcs/">USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries</a>.</p>
<p>In addition, the USGS tracks domestic supply and production of these mineral commodities, monitoring the industry that produces them as well as researching the genesis and possible locations of these minerals.</p>
<p>The USGS provides this information to the Department of Defense, Congress, and other decision-makers so that they can make informed decisions about the inputs of critical minerals to the U.S. economy.</p>
<p>Also, the USGS conducts research on mineral resource formation and provides mineral resource inventories and assessments to decision makers to inform their mineral policies here in the United States.</p>
<span class="date-display-single">April 12, 2017</span>apdemas@usgs.gov0a46f081-0033-49a3-9b13-d5fa3dafc641EarthWord–Hyperspectralhttps://www.usgs.gov/news/earthword-hyperspectral
<p>EarthWords is an on-going series in which we shed some light on the complicated, often difficult-to-pronounce language of science. Think of us as your terminology tour-guides, and meet us back here every week for a new word!</p>
<a href="/media/images/alaska-hyperspectral-minerals-map"></a>Preliminary map of selected minerals for a portion of the Nabesna area of interest, near Orange Hill and Bond Creek deposits in Alaska. The image, derived from HyMap imaging spectrometer data collected in July 2014, is draped on shaded relief.<br />(Public domain.)
<p> </p>
<p>The EarthWord: Hyperspectral</p>
<p>Definition:</p>
<p>Instead of a caffeinated ghost, hyperspectral refers to something nearly as trippy. It’s a tool that shines light on surfaces and measures the reflection across multiple bands. Not only does it measure visible light, but it also measures bands of light beyond the visible like infrared.</p>
<p>Etymology:</p>
<p>Hyperspectral has two parts: hyper, which comes from the Greek hyper, meaning <a href="http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=hyper-">“over,” or “beyond;”</a> and spectral, which comes from the Latin spectrum, which means <a href="http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=spectrum&amp;allowed_in_frame=0">“image” or “apparition.”</a></p>
<p>Use/Significance in the Earth Science Community:</p>
<p>Hyperspectral sensors measure light reflected from the earth. The spectrum of the reflected light can be interpreted to identify the composition of materials at the surface, such as minerals, man-made materials, snow, and vegetation. These materials can be identified remotely due to their unique light spectra. In addition, these data allow large geographic areas to be mapped quickly and accurately, showing mineral resources, natural hazards, agricultural conditions and infrastructure development.</p>
<p>USGS Use:</p>
<p>USGS primarily uses hyperspectral imaging to <a href="https://minerals.usgs.gov/science/hyperspectral-geophysics.html">aid in mineral research</a>. The primary places USGS has used hyperspectral imaging to study minerals are <a href="https://www.usgs.gov/news/hyperspectral-surveying-tool-assessing-mineral-potential-alaska">Alaska </a>and <a href="https://archive.usgs.gov/archive/sites/www.usgs.gov/newsroom/article.asp-ID=3280.html">Afghanistan</a>.</p>
<p>Next EarthWord: While not a Ferris wheel, this EarthWord is just as magnetic an attraction</p>
<p>Hungry for some science, but you don’t have time for a full-course research plate? Then check out <a href="https://www.usgs.gov/news/science-snippets">USGS Science Snippets</a>, our snack-sized science series that focuses on the fun, weird, and fascinating stories of USGS science.</p>
<span class="date-display-single">April 11, 2017</span>apdemas@usgs.gov15211e58-3772-48bd-a287-f675795be87eCutting-Edge Tools to Explore Alaska’s Mineral Potentialhttps://www.usgs.gov/news/cutting-edge-tools-explore-alaska-s-mineral-potential
<a href="/media/images/cutting-edge-tools-explore-alaska-s-mineral-potential"></a>
<p>The <a href="http://www.blm.gov/ak/st/en.html">Bureau of Land Management (BLM) in Alaska</a> oversees Federal lands and resolves competing interests to ensure the health, diversity, and productivity of this acreage for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations. To help with this gargantuan task, the BLM creates and follows <a href="http://www.blm.gov/wo/st/en/prog/planning.html">Resource Management Plans</a>. John Hoppe, a geologist with the BLM, helps with these plans by examining mining claims and mineral resource assessments.</p>
<p>“Coming originally from mineral exploration, my initial ambition with the BLM was to make mineral resource information available to the public,” explains Hoppe. “U.S. Geological Survey [USGS] mineral assessments are now the primary source of this resource information, and it’s very important that the public has access to it.”</p>
<p>“[The] USGS’s data and reports are the gold standard in mineral and geologic information. Their science brings accuracy, integrity, and reliability to my work and helps ensure that our Resource Management Plans have the best and most current minerals data.”</p>
<a href="/media/images/shearing-melozitna-granite"></a>A geologist stands next to cataclastic shear zones in the Melozitna granite in the Ruby batholith. This granite contains abundant monazite and high levels of thorium and rare earth elements. The shear zones accelerate erosion of the granite into streams, where the monazite that contains the rare earth elements can be concentrated. This area is part of the Bureau of Land Management's Central Yukon Planning Area, which USGS did a <a data-cke-saved-href="https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2015/1021/" href="https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2015/1021/">mineral assessment</a> of in 2015.(Credit: Sue Karl, USGS. Public domain.)
<a href="/media/images/assessing-last-frontier"></a>
<p>“People have been prospecting in Alaska, in a significant way, for about 120 years, but it is still very much a frontier,” said Hoppe. “So much land has never been touched by a human hand and so much remains to be explored.”</p>
<p>The USGS assesses dozens of mineral commodities in Alaska; a recent assessment was the <a href="https://www.usgs.gov/news/usgs-identifies-areas-critical-mineral-resource-potential-north-central-alaska">2015 estimate</a> of the potential for placer gold, rare-earth elements, platinum-group metals, copper, uranium, and several other commodities in the BLM’s <a href="http://www.blm.gov/ak/st/en/fo/fdo/central_yukon_field.html">Central Yukon Planning Area</a>.</p>
<p>Mineral resource studies in Alaska benefit from USGS innovations. Alaska remains a rugged and daunting place for conducting science. The climate and remoteness of many locations lead to difficulties in studying resource potentials.</p>
<p>USGS scientists help mitigate those challenges by employing cutting-edge research tools like <a href="https://www.usgs.gov/news/hyperspectral-aerial-survey-will-enhance-mapping-capabilities">hyperspectral aerial surveys</a> and high-definition satellite imagery, and by updating old standbys like the <a href="https://www.usgs.gov/news/first-ever-digital-geologic-map-alaska-published">Alaska Geologic Map</a>, which is now available in a digital format for the first time.</p>
<p>“Things have come a long way since the 1990s in the aspect of minerals information,” said Hoppe. “For example, the population of the <a href="http://ardf.wr.usgs.gov/">Alaska Resource Data Files</a> and the <a href="https://mrdata.usgs.gov/agdb/">Alaska Geochemical Database</a>, combined with the evolution of software and computers to process all this information, has prepared Alaska for a new era of understanding resource potential.”</p>
<a href="/media/images/panning-rare-earths"></a>A USGS geologist pans for monazite and rare earth minerals in Wolf Creek, which cuts through the Melozitna granite. This area is part of the Bureau of Land Management's Central Yukon Planning Area, which USGS did a <a data-cke-saved-href="https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2015/1021/" href="https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2015/1021/">mineral assessment</a> of in 2015.(Credit: Sue Karl, USGS. Public domain.)
<a href="/media/images/alaska-s-future"></a>
<p>Even as the BLM incorporates current USGS mineral resource information and assessments into their Resource Management Plans, Hoppe looks forward to the future of mineral science in Alaska.</p>
<p>“One of my favorite parts of mineral investigations is tying together information from over 100 years of geologic research and mining history and considering where those clues could point toward new mineral resources,” said Hoppe. “I’m glad that the USGS is a partner in BLM’s efforts to see where those clues will take us.”</p>
<a href="/media/images/generalized-usgs-geologic-map-western-alaska-and-aleutian-islands"></a>USGS map of western Alaska shows the generalized geology of the state, with each color representing a different type or age of rock. Source: <a data-cke-saved-href="https://pubs.er.usgs.gov/publication/sim3340" href="https://pubs.er.usgs.gov/publication/sim3340">https://pubs.er.usgs.gov/publication/sim3340</a>
<a href="/media/images/generalized-usgs-geologic-map-eastern-alaska"></a>USGS map of eastern Alaska shows the generalized geology of the state, with each color representing a different type or age of rock. Source: <a data-cke-saved-href="https://pubs.er.usgs.gov/publication/sim3340" href="https://pubs.er.usgs.gov/publication/sim3340">https://pubs.er.usgs.gov/publication/sim3340</a>
<a href="/media/images/more-information-32"></a><a data-cke-saved-href="https://www.usgs.gov/science-stories" href="https://www.usgs.gov/science-stories">Read more stories</a> about USGS science in action.
<span class="date-display-single">April 10, 2017</span>apdemas@usgs.gov01af3e49-3211-42ca-a84a-84eaece25286